Yuki No Megami
by Piccolo Sky
Summary: A ROTG/Frozen Crossover, Feudal Japan. When a seemingly-evil ruler brings about eternal winter, the shogun is desperate enough to recruit a band of five supernatual ronin to assassinate her before her curse destroys the country. Yet in the course of the mission, one of the band will discover there's more to the situation, and this mysterious woman, than he can imagine...
1. Jido no Hogu-sha

Hello everyone. Piccolo Sky here. This is a bit of a departure for me so you might be seeing me for the first time here...especially since this is my first attempt at a "shipping". A fairly standard one that's a dime-a-dozen to boot... Jack/Elsa. Let's see how I do since I don't normally write romance.

As you may have guessed, this is a "Rise of the Guardians"/"Frozen" crossover, but set to a period piece. It's very unusual for me...so hopefully it works.

If you're familiar with me, I'm still working on "Guilty Gear X", but I'm going to try and get that one out in "one shot" as opposed to this one, which I'm planning on doing incrementally for a change, chapter-by-chapter. It will allow greater feedback.

And I WANT feedback on this...not so much for the plot as what I'm doing as far as "details". I'm setting this story in Feudal Japan...which also makes this a bit new. Although I'd like some "artistic license" for it being fantasy, I still don't want to make glaring mistakes. So please let me know if you see them in regards to Japanese culture.

Hope you enjoy.

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**YUKI NO MEGAMI**

* * *

The boy continued to cry loudly and cling for all he was worth to his mother. But for all the tears the woman gave the man standing over them, her eyes pleading for pity and mercy, neither she nor her son received any as he roughly seized the boy and dragged him back so hard he painfully toppled onto the ground. Not giving him a moment to recover from his rough jostling, the soldier seized him by the back of his neck and began to drag him back to where many other boys, and a few girls, stood with tears in their eyes as their hands were roughly tied by cruel ropes. Many of them were bleeding around their bonds, but if any yelled too loud in pain they were slapped so hard that when they fell to the ground they would drag their companions with them.

The rest of the village could do little to help. They shared the same fate as the soldiers walked about, picked out the families who had more than two children, and promptly dragged the eldest out of their beds or wherever their parents had struggled to hide them, and then out to join those being herded like livestock in the square. There was loud wailing all around, mostly from mothers begging them to stop. Surprisingly (at least, to one not from that district), there were no fathers protesting or even to be seen. There were a few elderly or late middle-aged citizens raising defiance…but one of them was already in a bloody, beaten pile in the gutter, possibly never to rise again for trying to intervene. The people here had little chance against the stronger, armored men.

Several of the larger, better-armed, and more well-equipped men stood in the center, "supervising" all of this. There was one with the full regalia of a samurai in the middle, who, based on his coloration, clearly belonged to the local lord Yamashita. Like many of the various daimyos who the shogunate didn't have the time or resources to bother putting under his boot, he was free to wage his own personal attempt to increase his wealth and prestige by waging wars on whatever daimyo around him seemed small enough to be "easy prey". Unfortunately for Yamashita, he had many thugs but not one "brain" among his soldiers. He frequently consumed both resources and manpower alike to fuel his ambitions with very little return, causing him to squeeze as much as he could out of his already impoverished people. It was little surprise that the peasants here looked dirtier, shabbier, and all-together darker and unhealthier than most others as a result. But as his ambition hadn't been stymied, he sent out his greatest thugs to take even more. That included his "greatest" samurai clearly carrying out this operation. By the standards of most others who followed bushido, he was nothing more than a lout who had been given swords and a title in exchange for being a well-paid goon. However that was more than enough in this situation…

An older man came up to this samurai, practically groveling on his knees as he came forward on his cane.

"I'm begging you…on behalf of all of the people… Lord Yamashita has taken everything we can tribute…"

"Not _quite_ everything." The samurai darkly answered. "But you should be grateful that he doesn't command me to burn this village to the ground and do away with you freeloaders. He's been kind enough to give you all of this land to tend and all he desires in return is a proper tribute…and yet, time and again, you fail to ever meet what is demanded of this province."

"We have told the daimyo again and again…" The old man protested. "The weather has grown unseasonable. The harvest is delayed. If he but waits two more weeks…"

"This is not a _two week_ problem, old man." The samurai snapped. "It's a three season problem."

"But my lord…he already commanded service of all of the able bodied men…"

"And if they had been worth anything, they would have not died so easily in battle." The man snapped in response.

The old man swallowed, but continued. "…We're left with only the children to work the fields…"

"Children who fill their lazy bellies with rice that should be going to Lord Yamashita. We're merely doing you a favor…eliminating those who keep you from meeting your tribute and replenishing the ranks of your lord in humble gratitude for him protecting you and giving you this land. Your children have proved inadequate as farmers…perhaps they will have some usefulness as soldiers. You can get to work raising ones who can work harder."

The amount of cruelty and heartlessness in these words cut both the old man and those nearby to the quick. The women burst out in fresh tears. Ones desperate enough to cling for their children were immediately slapped aside by the men tying them up. By now, the last of them had been herded into the square and were being tied up. Surrounded by at least fifty armed men, there was no hope at freeing any of them. The mothers could only weep as whatever children were left behind desperately tried to keep them from going forward to get struck again.

"But…the girls…" The old man struggled in vain. "You're taking the girls with you. You have no use for them in battle…"

"No, we do not." The samurai answered…before flashing a dark smile. "But since you give us neither rice or fish, how else is Lord Yamashita supposed to pay for our services?"

The old man went white as a sheet. Again, those nearby nearly gasped as they looked to the thuggish men…and saw, indeed, many of them had lusting, almost ravenous, looks to the young girls who weren't even old enough to have their first periods. Even more despicable, they made no secret of it this time…for some of them were looking for excuses to have the younger mothers do something desperate so that they could make them join their daughters and sons…

Bored with talking to the man, however, the samurai reached out and gave him a shove, knocking him down so roughly into the street that it might have done real harm…not that he nor the soldiers cared. He looked around a bit afterward, at the some forty children they had taken.

"I guess this will have to do for this village…but considering how much trouble it was," He mused aloud, before looking up and around again, this time at the village. "I don't suppose there's anything else in this filthy hovel to make this trip worth our while?"

In response to saying this aloud, one of the thugs suddenly raised a hand and waved a bit.

"Over here! Seems this slum at least has an eatery with some rice liquor!" He shouted.

The samurai looked to the fallen old man and snorted. "Wasting some of the tribute on brewing liquor? And you have the nerve to ask the daimyo for lenience…" He smiled a bit more. "I suppose we'll just have to take that as well." He looked up and to the distance. "Go take whatever they have and call the wagons. These urchins are too puny to walk the whole way."

One of the soldiers gave a bow and began to run to the edge of the town, where they had left half of their forces along with cage-like wagons designed to transport large numbers of people. Three of the other soldiers immediately went into the only illuminated building in the entire town, and also the largest and best off…although that was a relative term. The building was designed to be a public eatery, but was obviously little more than a converted house. It couldn't have fit more than a few tables and chairs on one floor, and the glow was so dim they didn't even seem to have enough to spend on lamps. It was likely coming from two lamps and a fireplace, in spite of how hot it was during this time of year. At any rate, they vanished inside, already flexing their muscles…

And about ten seconds later, they rapidly staggered out again. The samurai, who, done with the children, had been keeping his eye on them, saw that they looked a trifle pale…and that they "backed out" of the doors rather than walked out again. He also saw they didn't have the liquor.

He frowned. "What's wrong?" He called out.

Two of them continued to look frightened, but the third, swallowing a bit, turned to the man and nervously pointed at the eatery. "There's…a…bit of a problem, sir."

The samurai frowned a bit more. "What sort of problem?"

"There's…a patron there."

"What of him?"

"He…says he already paid for all of the liquor within the establishment and that it's his…"

The man scowled. "Well, did you explain that you are representatives of Lord Yamashita?"

The man only swallowed again. "…He…he said we were welcome to try and take it from him…"

"Then why didn't you?" The samurai snapped.

The soldier didn't respond. He only trembled along with the other two with him.

Letting out a scowl, the samurai adjusted his own armor. "Have to do everything myself… Miserable cowards…" He complained, before looking around and motioning to the four largest men in his group. "You're with me. Apparently those three incompetents need to be shown how to teach a traveler a lesson…"

At once, the men fell in behind him as he began to walk for the eatery entrance. All of them put their hands on their swords as they did so. After all, if this one was "large" enough to threaten away other human muscle, then perhaps he would blanch before a blade. Of course, the samurai was already assuming that this was a man who had a weapon of his own. In that case, five of them should be more than enough to deal with any sass he might have. Still, he couldn't believe that those three alone weren't enough to deal with one miserable traveler. And he _had_ to be a traveler. They had long since broken the spirits of anyone else in this town. Yet if he was a traveler, so much the better. They could safely kill him and be done with it…

Soon, the samurai reached the entrance and pushed open the door, walking inside with a dark look as he gazed into the eatery with one hand on a hilt.

"Alright, who is the dead man who dared…to…"

He trailed off.

For a brief moment on entering, he thought the man who ran the eatery had, for whatever reason, erected some large object near the front. Perhaps a vase or a pillar or a curtain…something odd but nevertheless quite large. Yet after taking a moment to have his eyes adjust, he slowed as he walked into the chamber and stopped…realizing he wasn't looking at an object but a _man_.

Sitting at the counter up front was some sort of odd man. Most people in Japan had never seen or heard of a "bear" before, but this would be the best explanation for it. He was at least seven feet tall, but as he was hunched a bit it was easy to imagine he might be taller than that, and he was so broad that a small child lying on their side would not extend from shoulder to shoulder. He had received a large glass to drink liquor from, but in his massive hands it might as well have been a teacup as he slammed down the entire amount like it was a spot of water. His body was a mountain of muscle, sparsely covered with red and white attire that barely stretched around his frame and trimmed with what looked like wild black animal fur around a few edges. His own head was a flowing mane of gray and white, with a long beard to match that went down to his chest. Yet his body looked so hardy and healthy in spite of this that he seemed like a mountain of muscle, protruding from his kimono which had been ripped in so many places that it was only capable of covering the bottom chest and "essentials", exposing his massive forearms. Most of all, he had not one but two swords lying next to him in easy reach. One could say it was technically a katana and a wakizashi, but even the strongest among the samurai's group wouldn't be able to wield the wakizashi like a nodachi considering its size. It was practically a pole of iron.

For a moment, the samurai felt his courage abate. Never before had he ever seen a man like this. It was likely there were few who had. He didn't even look human. Still…he realized after a moment that to back down merely from the appearance of such a man would ruin their control over this city. Besides, as large as he looked, he also seemed rough and uncouth, and even a man that muscular couldn't wield blades like that with ease. They were too big even for him. With that in mind, he drew himself up and began to walk forward, thinking again to how _he_ was the master here, not a wanderer who looked like a wild man.

As he neared, he came to a half about six feet away.

"Where is the eatery proprietor?" He spoke out in the boldest manner he could muster.

"Hiding, I'd wager." The large man responded, not turning his head. Even his voice didn't sound human. It was far deeper…almost animalistic…and with a thick, strange dialect that the samurai had never heard before. "You and your good friends scared him away. He was making me manju." A pause, before his voice turned a bit grimmer. "I _love_ manju, and this place makes the best. I am more than a little unhappy about this."

The samurai, in spite of his best efforts, felt a twinge of fear go through him as he heard that, but he ignored it as he gripped his sword hilt. "…Is he in the back? I'm here to collect whatever sake he has on hand.

"You're too late, as I explained to your men." He answered as his massive hand reached over the side of the front table…easily, without getting up…and he pulled back a bottle which he used to refill his glass. "I have already paid good money for it. And I am not eager to part with it when I have been deprived of my manju. As I told your men, you are free to try and take it from me."

The man held for just a moment, but then forced his fear back. Instead, he let his indignity push him on. He was a member of the local daimyo's personal army. He wasn't about to be talked down to by some wandering peasant, no matter how large he was. After all, he would still bleed as easily as anyone else before a real blade. With that in mind, he drew his sword with a sound of metal scraping.

"You can have it your way, if you like." He challenged back, prompting his men to draw their weapons as well. "You don't appreciate your situation. We are vassals of the local lord and this is his province. Everything within this village belongs to him. Therefore, I do not care if you have already paid for the sake as it was never the proprietor's sake to sell in the first place. It was always the daimyo's. And we will be taking it now…over your corpse, if you prefer."

The big man did something unexpected at this. He burst out into a laugh. And it wasn't a dark laugh or a mocking one. Rather, it was from someone who seemed both jolly and highly amused by the entire situation. Almost as if the threats had done little more than make him happy. The samurai's face honestly fell a bit as he blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected _that_. It unnerved him quite a bit…probably because the laugh, in and of itself, wasn't unnerving at all. It sounded more like someone happy than trying to be intimidating.

"Ha!" The large man ended with a boom. "I was hoping for just such a thing! I never did enjoy the 'bush-beating'…not when a chance comes to flex these muscles…"

With a creak that sounded like it would snap his chair in two, the large man pushed back in his chair to get away from the counter and began to rise…making the floor and, indeed, the entire eatery creak as he stood up. As he stretched to his full height, ever muscle in his body seeming to make a "noise" as he rose, the samurai's resolve began to fade. His own grip on his sword loosened as he began to step back.

The giant of a man cracked his neck. "I won't even take up my swords. After all, heh-heh…" He snickered in a merry, deep voice. "I am a ronin, after all. And what sort of ronin would I be if I used steel on such little, frail boys, eh?"

He turned fully to the five…causing the samurai to step back yet again. So did his companions, but he made sure to step back even more as he looked up to the man with a small gasp, effectively putting them in front of him. His beard just had a few flecks of black in it, but as he turned to them…they remembered the stories that had been circulating throughout the entire land of Japan. Tales of the band of "five warriors" not of this world…how one of them was larger than any man-giant, with a face broad and round and scarred by three rough talons from the top of his right brow to the bottom of his left cheek. Even the most confident and brave among them began to wonder how they could have been so foolish to not see it…or so unlucky to come across this one.

He chuckled again on seeing them. "Allow me to introduce myself. My friends call me Nobuyuki."

One of the men on the samurai's right stammered. "Nobuyuki…the 'Jolly Bear'…"

"The monster who would splinter a spear if it were thrown by an oni into him…" Another spoke quietly.

The man boomed out another laugh. "Ha-ha! I do not know about that one…but I would think it would at least give me an itch."

The samurai began to shake in his armor. He couldn't believe his unfortunate luck…to actually run into this creature. Although he looked like a man, he knew full well the stories…about how he was a monstrous beast from the underworld who chewed up and spat out bones and steel alike, who feared not even a thousand men armed to the teeth. They said the only mark he had on his body was the scar on his face, and that supposedly was from the lord of the oni…and after he had received that blow, the reputation was that the 'Jolly Bear' ripped the oni's head off and cast it so far that it would never touch the ground again.

Yet worst of all…if Nobuyuki was here, then that mean the other four weren't too much farther…

His cowardice flaring now that he realized there was an opponent here that couldn't be beaten or threatened unlike the peasants he was used to grinding into the dirt, the samurai did the only thing he could think of.

"Attack him!" He ordered even as he stepped back. "Now!"

The men froze for a moment. After all, they knew the legends as well as the samurai, how no man could kill or even draw a single drop of blood from the Jolly Bear. Yet whether it was stupidity or desperation, or perhaps a faint glimmer of hope that his very human-looking skin could indeed be pierced, they ended up crying out and lunging forward, driving their weapons into his body.

They were doomed even before they reached him, for the giant of a man merely laughed and held his hands up…leaving himself completely open. The samurai saw the tips of blades hit his skin, and the skin gave just a bit, but then they merely knocked off harmlessly. He saw only little white traces left behind on the skin of the giant man, similar to what a baby trying to scratch an adult might do. Those sword were razor sharp, and they failed to even skin him. The next two came in and stabbed as well, trying to go straight for thrusts, but they merely jarred their arms trying to pierce the skin of the giant man. Laughing out loud at all of this, he merely stood there as he let the first two try to slash him, again with no luck. But by then, he seemed bored with this. He reached out and seized one of the sharpened blades in his bare hand and merely yanked it out of that soldier's hand, ignoring his partner furiously trying to stab him nearby. He then seized the disarmed soldier by the neck, raised him into the air, and smashed his head into the ceiling with such force he went limp in an instant. Then, using this soldier as a club, he swung him around and knocked his partner so strong that he was ripped off of his feet and launched across the room and out the window, sending him crashing into the street. The other two with him immediately froze, gasping in horror…and leaving them open for the giant man as he laughed in joy and advanced on them…

By now, however, the samurai saw no more. He immediately burst out for the door, leaving his men to their fate. As he heard both crying out and bones breaking mixed in with the sound of monstrous laughter, which, in turn, petrified whatever soldiers were outside and had just seen their companion flung through the window like a doll, the samurai retreated quickly back for the square, where the bulk of the soldiers still were. He, like the rest of them, stared at the eatery as it seemed to shake and shudder from the hulk moving about inside of it, smashing more and more all the time.

For a moment, the man panicked, not sure how he, or any of them, could hope to stop that monster. But then, enough of his wits came to him to quickly spin to the armed men with him. In particular, he looked to ten of them that had firebrands, carrying them in case they needed to burn some of the buildings. They seemed to now have a use. Perhaps the Jolly Bear could negate blades, but what about fire?

Immediately, he motioned out to them. "You! All of you!" He shouted, before pointing to the eatery. "Burn that building at once! Do it quickly!"

The men were mostly shocked by the sounds of battling and laughter, but the noise distracted them from their thoughts and caused them to snap to the samurai. However, after a moment, one of them blinked.

"But…but sir, two of our men are-"

"Burn it now!" He cut off. "If that monster gets free we're all doomed! It's not a human in there! It's one of them! One of the Jido no Hogu-sha!"

That last title took a moment to spread over the soldiers gathered. Among the smarter, it sank in, and began to change their expressions and their moods. Mostly to looks of shock and fear. The younger ones hesitated, however, not knowing of that name so much. But before anyone could make any move, streaks of light suddenly shot out. Almost in unison, every man carrying a firebrand cried out in agony and dropped their torches to the ground, soon letting them go out on landing. As darkness began to extend over the group, both they and their companions looked to their hands in alarm…and found kunais embedded in each one. The "throwing type", to be exact. And it looked as if ten of them had been thrown at once from ten different angles with sufficient force to embed through their palms…

Yet a moment later, they cried out again as the blades, as if they had a mind of their own, yanked out of their palms all at once and shot through the air…right to the roof of one of the nearby homes. Perched on top of it was a caped figure with what looked like animal ears sewn into the hood, a looser "gi" colored with gray earth tones underneath scarcely visible, standing out from the gleam of light above the rooftops in the night sky His eyes gleamed like small jewels from beneath the hood, showing his gaze was upon them. As one, the throwing knives went into one hand, and, with a gesture, he spread them out like a fan, flicked his wrist to collapse them in one, and then soon began to casually flip only a single kunai up and down. All of the others had appeared to literally vanish into thin air save this one that he casually flipped, arms crossed, one foot over the other, and glaring down at the men with eyes that almost seemed to glow from under the hood.

"Now, that just isn't right…" The figure spoke in a smooth, dangerous voice…not nearly as "merry" as the first. "Burning two of your men just to get rid of one opponent? No wonder your brainless lord keeps losing every war he starts…"

The sudden appearance of this strange new individual caused a pause among most, although a few more experienced began to realize what he had to be. However, the samurai soon rallied them yet again. "Shoot him!" He cried.

It took a moment, but the eight or so men among them who had bows did as they were told and went for them. The figure calmly waited, not even shifting weight as he saw them take out the shortbows and knock arrows. Yet just as they took aim and pulled back their strings, he casually uncrossed one foot and tapped it against the shadow of a chimney coming from the roof of the house he was perched on. A moment later, as the arrows flew, his body turned into ink and instantly melted into the shadow as if it was nothing more than a hole in the ground. The arrows hit only air…causing the men to gasp in shock as well as the civilians with them. Yet they got another shock a moment later when they heard a loud whistle, causing them to snap their heads to the source…and saw the same figure standing on a roof on the opposite side of the square.

That confirmed all they needed to know. Soon, one of them men actually screamed it.

"The Ghost Hare! It's the Ghost Hare!"

The samurai knew his name better as 'Takeshi the Ghost Hare'…a creature who was said would appear in your room and kill you in your sleep within three days if you said: 'Nousagi-Takeshi' aloud. A monster said to have been the offspring of a human woman and the night itself. His body could become one with the shadow, not only allowing him to easily move in and out of all the darkness in the world, but making him as fast and silent as a black tomb when a light was put out inside. They said a volley of arrows fired by three divisions of archers could be sjpt at him and it would hit only air. Worst of all, his kunai was said to be "alive", going wherever he wished and in as many impossible ways as one could think of…but especially into the hearts of his enemies.

Again, fear and desire for survival seemed to end up driving the men, as five of them drew their own swords, clubs, spears, and whatever they had on hand as the archers aimed and fired again. This time, he didn't merely slip into shadow. Instead, his hand went out and flung his kunai again, which immediately shot out not in a straight light but like an angry bee, smacking each arrow out of the air before returning to his grip. As he did, he leapt off of the top of the roof and went down to the level of the men. The opponents went right up to him and began to swing away.

"Far too slow, gentlemen." He said with a bored tone, not even breathing hard as he proceeded to nimbly and easily dodge each and every blow meant to stab or cut him. Swipes to the head or side, lunges for the body, none of it managed to come near. He actually humored them for a moment doing so before he counterattacked. He easily leapt back to allow a club to swing uselessly in front of him…before he came forward and lashed out with a thrust kick so strong that one could hear the bones snap before the man's body was violently thrown into two men behind him…so powerfully that one could hear _their_ bones break as well. Without missing a beat, he brought his leg back and bent over, letting a stabbing blade go right over his head, before he lashed out a kick as his assailant, this time to the arm, that hit with such force that it was broken in four places in spite of making contact only in one spot.

"Come on…try and give me at least a _little_ warm up." He grunted before swinging his feet around to swipe out the legs from another attacker…and breaking both ankles in the process. Each sound proved the legends even more, that for all of his speed and agility the Ghost Hare was inhumanly powerful as well.

As he struck another attacker while flinging his kunai again, making it actually spin around like a shuriken as it whirled through the air in an arc, lashing out for numerous other foes, the samurai realized that between the lack of fire and the fact that the second of the "five" had shown up…they were in a bad spot. They had defeated far greater and more numerous opponents on even footing. They couldn't risk fighting them like that. With that in mind, he again turned and bolted for it, a group of about ten soldiers following him. This time, in spite of his fear, he forced himself to run in front of the eatery again, in spite of the fact the Jolly Bear was currently smashing through the front, no doubt looking for more heads to smash in. Most of the archers were separate from the rest of them at the edge of town. He had to get to them and have them start firing volleys into town or at least reinforcing the men… Perhaps if they fired arrows at the Ghost Hare while he was preoccupied with dodging others…

However, his group hadn't gone far before they went to a halt again, once more rendered wide-eyed.

On the edge of the village, they were just able to see the prisoner wagons that had been left with the group of fifty. However, it had grown much "easier" to see them now than it had a moment ago...the result of a golden "dust" or "pollen" seeming to be resting over all of them and giving a residual gleam. Every last one was on the ground, completely unconscious. Their firebrands were out as well, meaning there was no way they could shoot flaming arrows into the village now even if they were awake.

A lone individual still stood: a short, squat, rather unassuming-looking man who seemed like his body and kimono had been rubbed down with the same golden dust, allowing him to give off a soft gleam as he walked forward. He was neither very "stately-looking" nor impressive, looking almost as if he was a tad physically deformed. His clothing, however, despite being covered with the golden dust, was also etched with oattern from the larger moths that dwelt in Japan, and as he walked he almost seemed to make a "tinkling chirp" that, soft as it was, echoed all the way down to the group as he slowly walked toward them.

As innocent and unassuming as this little man would seem normally, he filled the samurai and his companions with even more fear than the first two. By now, the samurai realized there was no hope that they had escaped the "Jido no Hogo-sha", now that he had seen three of them with his own eyes and his hopes of getting out of this alive grew dimmer and dimmer.

Unlike his companions, this little man didn't boast or telegraph his appearance verbally. Just as the stories said, he never said a word: Satoru the Sand Moth. That golden dust he was surrounded with was actually the dusty remains of thousands upon thousands of moth wings degenerated into powder…some said of his own generation. But just when it had been alive and part of him, the "dust" responded to him completely. If one was more "fortunate", they would meet the same fate that had happened to the reinforcements: simply being put to sleep with a mere gesture. As squat, diminutive, and weak as he looked, no force could stand against him when all he needed to do was send a cloud of the powder at them to put them into an endless sleep. He could do it forever if he wanted, but worse than that was that he could also control your dreams once that was done. He could torment you with a nightmarish hell forever showing nothing but visions full of pain and fear and no way to escape it. Whereas any other man could always force themselves awake whenever a nightmare grew too much for them, there was no escaping him.

Yet those people were the "lucky" ones. His dust could also be breathed into the lungs, slip into the eyes, and be absorbed into the skin. Once inside, you were nothing more than his puppet, as easily manipulated as the rest of his dust. Your mind lost in a "living dream", he could make a group of samurai hack each other to pieces without making a single move. It was small wonder he looked so odd and harmless, and that no one had ever seen him draw a weapon against them. What would he need with weapons when all of his opponents became their own weapons? The legend said if he ever got ahold of you and had no other opponents to use you as a "weapon" against…seppaku would be preferable to what he would do to make you destroy yourself…

Although it would take him a while to reach them, the samurai knew that the Sand Moth had blocked off their exit. Unable to let fear "paralyze" him anymore, he quickly turned around and bolted back for the square, leaving the ten men behind to stare in shock and fear. As it turned out, they provided good decoys a moment later when the Jolly Bear smashed through the entrance and seized the two nearest ones, clonking their heads together before using a massive fist to smash another man to the ground like he was nothing more than a bug. However, their leader managed to get back to the square…where ten more men were already helpless on the ground, bones broken and possibly dead. The survivors had their weapons out but were backing off in terror, none of them daring to charge the Ghost Hare.

He knew now there was only one possible way out of this as he ran back up to them.

"Get the children!" He shouted. "Everyone seize one!"

There was, once again, hesitation. The men didn't quite grasp why the samurai would still be bothering with the children when demons were "crawling out of the woodwork" to attack them. However, it lasted only a short while. In spite of being monsters, he heard the Jido no Hogo-sha never assaulted children. They somehow had a cosmic law or "rule" forbidding them from hurting them. If that was the case, then perhaps they could be used as hostages… With that in mind, soon the men began to spin on their captives, each one looking to seize one for himself. But as they were all bound together, they would need to be cut free first…

The samurai was already going for his shorter blade when he heard a much lighter, and female, voice piped out from in front of them.

"Taking kids for hostages? How low can you get?"

The men soon got a surprise, causing them to halt yet again, as a light blue form suddenly shot out in their path. However, this figure didn't pop out and then stand her ground. On the contrary…to the tune of a rapid "flitting" sound that seemed like the world's largest hummingbird, this individual barred their way and then hovered in midair before them, suspended by a gigantic pair of translucent wings. At this time of night, they'd be invisible if it wasn't for the fact that they moved fast enough to strike whatever dim light was around several times each second, creating an almost spectral appearance as they fluttered about. In spite of that, however, the figure was distinctly female, dressed in light blues and greens dyed into her own gi that melded together in a pleasant, "aquamarine" arrangement. However, at least half of her attire seemed to have been stitched together from bird feathers…yet considering the fact that no bird in this part of the world had that sort of coloration, it looked almost as if it was growing out of her. In fact, the feathers that she had around her head arranged as some sort of bright hood seemed almost to _flex_ as she talked…

"How about you throw down your weapons before you get hurt?" She said as she fluttered in front of them, actually darting about a bit in place like a hummingbird would. "I don't think you want me to 'add to my collection'…"

The soldiers had been making foolish moves until now, but at this moment, the samurai noticed his men making the dumbest move yet. While he automatically recognized this creature flying in front of them, the soldiers with him took her for a "simple woman", seeing how small and frail she looked and ignoring the fact that she had translucent wings and what looked like feathers growing out of her. They failed to put her in the same category as the others and, as a result, without fear, they immediately ran on her with weapons drawn, meaning to take her out of the sky.

A horrible mistake.

In a flash, the woman reached behind her and came out with a jitte. Her eyes almost seemed to turn "serpentine" for a moment as she saw the men coming at her, and then moved. As the first one got close enough to stab, she shot forward, using her wings to drive into his range, and drove the tip of her weapon into the man's top teeth. It was only a light blow, not even enough to make the roots bleed…yet the soldier immediately went rigid, seized with pain and thrown into agony great enough to make him drop his weapon and collapse like a stone. She easily flitted above another who tried to slash her from the side, and a moment later drove the tip of her weapon into that man's teeth as well, causing him to actually gag as if having a seizure before falling. She swept the weapon around to catch two more blades aimed for her a moment later and then used the thrust of her wings to easily push them aside before launching out two more "stabs" into their teeth, making them soon collapse in agonized piles, practically choking on their own drool as they contorted into horrible positions.

The samurai was spared this simply because he had been smart enough to see her face and recognize her from the descriptions: Takara the Tooth Dragon. She seemed to be the smallest, most child-like, and most innocent of the Jido no Hogo-sha. But she was a monster just like the rest of them. Supposedly she was the wretched spawn of a wrathful dragon who ripped teeth from the mouths of his victims and subsisted on them, literally draining years of life from its prey as it consumed them, for they somehow had a "connection" to the individual even after being removed from their body. The stories say somehow she could touch the "core" of one's being through the tooth. It would happen either by her directly touching them or tapping them with the tip of that jitte she was using. In either case, the result would be the same. She could light every fiber of a man's being on fire with just a tap. Even the strongest and toughest man in the world couldn't survive her driving raw pain into the core of their being. No matter the opponent, she could fell them with one blow. Some said she could even shatter a soul if she ever hit any harder. And as nimble as she was, with those wings giving her added power, she could overthrow any opponent's blow aimed at her. All she needed to win, after all, was a tap on the teeth.

And if she managed to extract a tooth from her victim…it was even worse. They said she now had ownership of your soul…

"Ugh!" She cried as she struck two more of them. "Look how pitifully you care for your teeth! How do any of you ever plan to get married with mouths like that? I feel like I need to wash my weapon after I'm done with you…"

The samurai recoiled a bit more as she laid into more of them, and took a second to look around.

By now, the Jolly Bear was approaching rapidly, easily smacking aside anyone who tried to stop him. The soldiers might as well have been ants compared to him. The Ghost Hare continued to fling out his kunai again and again, disarming soldiers and then following up with bone-crunching kicks to drop them. The Tooth Dragon was moving around so fast that she was impossible to even mount an effective counterattack against. No one saw her moving until it was too late to keep her from striking their teeth. All the while the Sand Moth continued to come down the street, streams of gold dust coming from him and going down every road and alley. He was cutting off any escape. Half of the city was already blocked off and the rest was coming…

Over half of the soldiers who had been the group in town were dropped now, with the other half coming quickly. As the four supernatural creatures continued to put down one after another, the samurai saw what few soldiers were left got the sense to run for it. With the Sand Moth cutting off any escape, they had to flee now while they still had time. Soon, rough thugs began to drop their weapons, turn, and dart off down whatever road way or alley they could. Yet even then, they found no peace. Leaving those brave enough to stay behind to the Jolly Bear, the Ghost Hare and the Tooth Dragon alike took off to start chasing after those who ran. With the ability to fly of the latter and the ability to move through shadows of the former, they had no chance. There would be no escape. The samurai began to fill with fear as he realized this. They weren't going to let any of them get away. They would kill every last one of them…

Yet as he feared the worst, luck came to him.

Abruptly, he felt a small bump. He looked down, and saw a boy had just collided with him. He was still bound to the others, but by now the children were rather shocked at what was going on and had begun to uncertainly spread out. And in the course of doing so, one of them had backed right into the samurai. At the moment, neither the Tooth Dragon nor the Ghost Hare were anywhere near, and neither of their companions had seen.

The boy whirled around on seeing what he had done, and nearly cried out in alarm. However, the samurai wasted little time. With one hand, he seized the boy by the throat and crushed, choking him into silence. As he struggled against the grip, his sword went out and quickly cut the bonds. After that, he put the blade across the child to keep him from moving, scooped him up, and then quickly turned and bolted for it. He was a bit far from access out of the square, but luckily fortune seemed to favor him enough to have everyone else be too preoccupied with what was going on around them to catch him. Soon, he had managed to get into one of the spaces between building and run clear to the other side.

Holding the squirming boy in his grasp, he quickly turned in the way opposite of the Sand Moth and tried to run for the edge of town. To keep a grip on the boy, he was forced to ease up on his throat, but luckily his clenching grasp had both hurt him and made him gag for air, and as a result he stayed quiet as he put his arm and the blade around him and carried him on. The village wasn't too large. He feared he'd be spotted easily even if he managed to evade the monsters initially. And he didn't bet on them being quite "merciful" enough to obey their own demented code and not attack him just for holding onto a child hostage. With that in mind, he moved "diagonally", trying both to get to the edge of town as fast as he could as well as away from the battle.

At first, it seemed to work out rather well. Although he continued to hear his men cry out behind him and fall one after another, they grew more distant. He realized, as fast as the Tooth Dragon and the Ghost Hare were, they could only be in so many places at once. Their "awareness" had to be that of normal people. Perhaps he would get free after all, he began to think as he turned a corner…

"Look what we have here…"

Yet soon after turning the corner, he froze in place. Immediately, he stood straight, yanked the boy close, and made sure his blade as at his throat. His head snapped to the sound of the voice. Unfortunately for him, he realized who it was even before fully turning to him. As he began to sweat again, he realized it could only have been the final member of the Jido no Hogo-sha.

A young man, scarcely past the age of a teenager himself, was reclining casually against the wall of a building. He dressed loosely, but his skin was so pale one would swear he was either sickly or an albino. His hair was even paler, looking like it was coated with frost in spite of the warm weather. He had a simple weapon with him, if one could even call it that. It looked like some sort of staff or even "walking stick", perhaps even with a crook. He balanced it across him like a bo staff, however. To mix his "loose" attire, he seemed to only be wearing a haori and hakama, having eschewed a proper kimono and letting his own pale, toned chest show through. Aside from that, he had a scarf facial covering, but currently it was loose and only casually around his neck. He didn't even look at the samurai as he turned into the corner, however. Instead, he seemed to calmly toss a white ball up and down in one hand, keeping his gaze on that.

He let out a snicker, however. "How fair is this… They get to have all the fun and leave me doing clean-up duty? They could have at least been nice enough to let more than one of you escape…"

Instantly, the samurai's lips pulled off of his teeth as he pushed the blade in tighter. The boy didn't dare move. Even resisting too hard might break his skin as a result. He glared as fiercely as he could force himself to at the young man. "Don't try anything stupid. I can end this child's life in a heartbeat." He stated…secretly hoping the pale young man valued the child's life enough to care.

He certainly didn't seem to as he flicked the ball in the air and waved his hand…making it disappear. He soon grasped his bo and began to rise.

"Attacking the helpless and unarmed… Seizing girls as plunder… Abandoning your men… And using a child as a human shield…" He mused idly as he stood to full height. A moment later, he turned his full gaze on the man.

In addition to being tinted such an icy blue that it almost made the samurai feel cold to look at it, the boy's face was not only youthful, handsome, and fine-featured…but also full of mischief and confidence. As if nothing could upset him or make him feel fear. Certainly not this situation.

"And you call yourself a samurai?" He finished.

The man sweat a bit, but tightened his grip. "I mean it."

The boy in his clutches swallowed, quite visibly scared as well. Fearful not only of his life but for this unnatural-looking creature in front of him. However, the youth wasn't miffed at all. He merely chuckled at the whole thing, holding his staff over his shoulder a moment and placing his other hand on his side casually as he fully faced the man. After doing so, he looked down to the boy.

"Hey…don't be scared." He said in a calm, friendly tone. "You'll be fine. We're going to have some fun with this guy."

The samurai's eyes widened, not only at the comments being said…but how casual the young man was about it. Pretty much insulting him to his face and treating him like a joke. It didn't matter that the boy didn't quite believe it. It infuriated him to hear it. It almost made him want to strike just out of spite. At any rate, he gnashed his teeth at the pale man. "You insolent little-"

He got no further. Abruptly, the young man grasped the end of his bo staff and swung it out. Immediately, the samurai braced for impact…but nothing came. He was too far for one thing. For another, he aimed the staff at the ground instead.

With a "crinkling" sound, immediately a thin sheet of ice condensed from the air and formed a trail which, like a crack of a whip, extended out to right beneath the samurai's feet. As he had reacted by shifting weight, he met with the ice the moment he did so…which was as frictionless as the air itself. In an instant, his footing gave way and, with a cry, he found himself slipping completely off of his feet. Surprised by this, he did the instinctive thing and removed his blade from the boy's neck to attempt to reach out to stop himself. In the process, he gave the boy a shove, and soon the child cried out as he spilled forward, sliding on the ice that formed beneath him as well. Yet it was for naught, as the samurai was unable to regain his balance or stop himself before his feet slipped out from under him and he crashed rather hard on his back. A painful jolt went through his rear and shoulders, making him grunt out as a result.

The boy, on the other hand, cried out in a bit of alarm as he slid forward, but the pale man calmly gestured to one side, causing the ice on the ground to sweep around slightly before terminating. A moment later, the boy slid to this end and was deposited on the ground. It took him a moment to gain his footing, but when he did he was safe and sound, and blinking as he realized he had suddenly been saved from his captor. He turned in amazement to the pale man, who calmly laid his bo over one shoulder and began to walk forward.

"Now that that's taken care of," He mused. "How about fighting someone without hiding behind a kid?"

The samurai grunted, but forced himself to look up, seeing the pale man making sure he was well in front of the boy before stopping again. In spite of having faced several monsters today, he was more insulted than anything. With that in mind, he quickly scrambled to his feet, slipping on the ice again a few times in the process. The young man merely smiled all the while. When he finally did get off the ice and rise, he quickly drew his sword and braced it in front of him.

"Ooo…that's sharp." The pale man taunted. "How often do you hit something with it?"

Sneering, the samurai darted forward and stabbed out for him. In response, the young man gave a whistle as he planted a foot on the ground, causing ice to form again from mid air and around it before he calmly "slid back". The people of Japan weren't familiar with skates, but the effect would have been the same as he easily slid back and let the sword stab only air.

"Oops. No good." He smiled.

Gritting his teeth, the samurai swung for his head in a slash afterward. Giving a whistle, the young man dropped into a squat and again "pushed" off of the ice to make him slide back further.

"Oh, so close." He taunted.

Fuming, the warrior raised his sword again and advanced after him…only to step on the same sheet of ice and immediately spill forward and land on his face. The impact was so rough that he nearly loosened a tooth when he landed on his jaw. As for the pale man, he simply slid back further, again crossing his staff over one of his shoulders.

"Watch you footing." He said as he held a hand out in front of him. This time, frost seemed to condense out of midair and collected in his hand. After a moment, he had a snowball inside it. "My turn."

Then, to add insult to injury, the young man casually snapped his wrist and let the snowball fly, pasting the samurai right between the eyes as he groggily tried to rise.

"Direct hit!" He cheered as he began to easily "skate" around on the ice he had spread over most of the lane, casually doing circles and figure-8s without even trying.

By now, the samurai was livid. He struggled to rise again only to spill on his face once again, hitting his chin in the exact same spot and driving him into more agony. He finally got enough of his bearings to get onto the bare spots and rise, and soon chased after the pale young man again. However, now he _really_ had "fun" with him. When he got close enough to strike, the pale man would simply "skate" away from him to the opposite side, forcing him to run around to try and catch him again…but not before he would make another snowball and give it to him between the eyes again. The first two times or so only made the samurai more infuriated as he struggled to get around. But by the third time, the boy, watching all of this, began to smile and snicker at how easily the samurai was being humiliated. This only made the samurai angrier as the pale man evaded him again, and he tried to run around.

"Slow around ice!" The young man called out in response before removing his staff, aiming it at a place where the samurai's foot was headed, and turned it into a patch of ice…instantly causing him to collapse again hard. And, once again, the young man humiliated him by smacking him in the face with another snowball. This was too much for the boy. He began to laugh out loud.

Growing progressively more humiliated, the samurai tried to rise again, but by now the young man was fully "having fun" as he tried to get up and chase him again, he would create new patches of ice under his feet every once in a while, until the samurai was soon trying more just to keep from falling again and doing a straight dance than being able to get close enough to strike. It didn't help that the young man, while idly watching him trying to navigate the ice patches, would hit him with another snowball every once in a while. He soon had the samurai so disorientated and struggling to stay on his feet that he had more than enough time to casually slide back over to the boy, making a new snowball, and then pass it to him.

"Go on. Let's see what kind of arm you got on you." He told him.

The boy was hesitant only a moment before he smiled and accepted the snowball. A moment later, he took a shot at the samurai. Unfortunately for the samurai, it was while he had gotten turned around…and the snowball ended up hitting the back of his neck. Melted snow ran down his collar and into his back, making him go rigid. The boy was shocked only a moment before he laughed even louder than before, this time with the pale man joining in.

"Heh…that was a great shot! I wish I had thought of that…"

Having had the last straw, the samurai roared in anger as he drove the tip of his own sword into the ground, using it as an "anchor". Not caring if he mistreated the weapon, he twisted himself around toward the pale man and tried to go after him one more time, this time keeping his feet on the ice and actually pushing off of them to "slide forward".

The young man raised an eyebrow. "Oh look! You _can_ learn! I wondered how many knocks to the head it would take…" He mused as he easily pushed himself away from the boy, not to try and get clear but to keep him well out of range. After that, he placed both of his hands on his bo and held it before him, smiling at the samurai and seeming to dare him to come.

"Here I am! Come kill me!" He cheered.

Bloodlust in his eyes, the samurai pushed himself off harder, increasing his speed and soon sending him sliding faster and faster toward the pale individual. He didn't move in response. He kept his bo at the ready and waited for him to come. No attempts to escape this time, and the samurai made sure he had enough momentum to crash into him this time. He wouldn't lose him again… And sure enough, with his speed, and the fact that he was approaching him from the "side" of the building stretch this time, with less room to dodge, it seemed like he would make it…especially since the young man didn't make the slightest move to dodge…

Then, at the last moment, he did something very unexpected.

With another calm whistle, he swung his staff down, stuck it in the ground, used it as an anchor to vault himself into the air…and then simply hung right there.

The samurai's anger abated as he opened his eyes in shock, his body sliding freely underneath that of the pale man, who calmly pulled his bo up so that it wouldn't get hit. He smiled cheerfully down at him as he saw him shoot by.

"Oh, sorry…forgot to mention I could fly, didn't I?"

The samurai didn't have time to react…only enough time to look back down into his now-unstoppable path and saw himself sailing straight for a wooden post that was supporting one of the small houses. Right before his head smashed into it, sending him into unconsciousness, he had time for one last thought.

_So that's why he's called the 'Laughing Frost'…_

* * *

Ten minutes later, the soldiers had been piled up in the square in the place of their would-be captors. Standing over them were the "Jido no Hogo-sha", all five of them gathered together and using the same ropes they had undid from the children to tie them up. As for the citizens, they regarded them with only somewhat less fear as they had toward the soldiers. Some of them still kept their distance from these "monsters". After all, it was quite clear not one of them was human, and they had heard the same stories about how bloodthirsty and savage they could be. As time passed, however, they five had become calm, friendly, and even amiable. Especially toward the children. Even the dark, hooded figure with the throwing knives smiled warmly and talked in a relaxing manner as he undid their bonds. By the time they were done, the children, at least, were wondering if these were really monsters at all or rather some sort of "divine servants" sent to help…

By the time the situation had been flipped, the lead samurai and some of his men were coming too. Others would be out for hours yet, if not longer. After all, many of them had broken bones and serious injuries that needed medical attention. Some were permanently injured, their muscles or nerves cut. However, all were still lucky enough to have their lives, at least for the moment. The samurai had mostly injured himself with bumps and bruises through his own flailing, but his head was bloody from where his head had run into the post, and as he looked up, he paled again to see the five standing, casting their shadows over him and the rest of his men.

"Now then…" The Ghost Hare spoke up. "What shall we do with the lot of them?"

"Isn't that a tricky question…" The Laughing Frost added. By now, he was balancing his staff on the ground and actually sitting cross-legged on top in an act of imbalance impossible for a human. "Obviously if we let them live, they'll either be back or they'll just find another town to extort… But if we just kill them all and be done with it, we'll lose any chance to send a 'message' to their daimyo… What-to-do, what-to-do…"

The mention of being "killed" sent a wave of fear through all of the soldiers. However, the Ghost Hare soon stepped forward, placed the tip of his kunai on one of their noses, and began to wiggle it with the tip.

"…I suppose we could shave off a little something that will make you think twice about ever doing this again…" He mused.

"We could let Satoru put them to sleep for about 10 years worth of nightmares…" The Laughing Frost said with a shrug.

The Jolly Bear stomped forward, grabbed one by the chin, and pulled his head high. "Perhaps we remove a tooth from each… Give Takara some nice souls to eat, yes?"

This made them rather pale indeed. Here, the samurai got enough of his bearings to suddenly speak.

"That…won't be necessary…"

At once, he paled again as five sets of eyes were on him.

"Oh really?" The Laughing Frost answered. "What makes you say that? Or…more importantly…what should make _us_ believe that?"

The samurai swallowed, but then smiled sheepishly. "We…we really didn't know that you were watching this town… We'll leave and not come back…"

A flit of wings later, and the samurai leaned back as he found the Tooth Dragon flying in front of him, hands on her hips and frowning.

"So you'll just find some children who _aren't_ being guarded by us, instead? Don't take us for dummies. Like Jiro said, even if you don't want to, you'll do what your daimyo says, won't you?"

The samurai sweat a bit, but then asserted himself. "And if we do? We don't have a choice. We are loyal to our daimyo. It's the code of the bushi-"

"AUGH!"

The man was cut off as the Ghost Hair suddenly yanked his knife off of the tip of the man's nose he was toying with, leaving an amount of blood before glaring darkly at the samurai.

"Your faithfulness to the 'code of the bushido', friend, went out the window the moment you thought like treating eight year old girls as pieces of meat for your pleasure. Next one of you tries to claim you're even a quarter of a samurai loses half of a nose."

"Exactly what can you do to convince us that you won't be carrying out any more of your daimyo's orders in this regard, even if you put your own lives at stake, hmm?" The Jolly Bear asked. "I'm all ears."

The samurai stammered a moment. He had to think fast. Both he and the few men with him that were conscious were quivering with fear now, desperate to find a way out of this. Finally, he came up with something.

"We'll tell him that the shogun took an interest in this province!" He nearly cried. "We'll say he's the one who caught us trying to extort the people…he beat us down as a warning…and then he told us to be off to tell him that he's keeping his eye on this province from now on!"

The five paused on hearing that. They thought of it a moment.

"…Not half bad." The Jolly Bear stated after a moment.

"Hmm…I'll admit even _I_ almost believe it." The Tooth Dragon added.

"I guess that leaves only one thing…" The Laughing Frost stated as he began to "climb down" his staff. On landing on the ground, he took it up and balanced it over a shoulder again. "…How do we know you're not lying?"

The samurai opened his mouth…only to have the Sand Moth reach out, put his hand under his chin, and force it closed again.

The pale man snickered. "Aw…you didn't really think we were going to let it slide with a 'we promise we'll only do good for now on', did you? I think we'll need a bit more insurance than that…" He looked up to the others. "Suggestions?"

"Give them good old test of truthfulness." The Jolly Bear said as he cracked his knuckles. "Rip an arm off with bare hands… If they scream, they're lying and they die. If they keep quiet, they are telling the truth and get to live."

Naturally, the soldiers looked twice as terrified from this.

"Too messy, Nobuyuki." The Ghost Hare answered.

"Let's call up the Mia-Mia Bird!" The Tooth Dragon cheered. "If they tell the truth they're safe, but if they ever told a lie she'll peck their eyes out and place red-hot coals in the sockets!"

The woman looked entirely too "cheerful" saying that, making the soldiers worse than ever. However, as they feared this would happen, a light tingling sound suddenly went out. The four looked to the only one who hadn't spoken, the Sand Moth, as he held up a hand as if to say he had an idea, although he was so quiet he couldn't even make loud breathing noises.

"Oh, Satoru!" The Laughing Frost exclaimed. "We forgot all about you. Let me guess…" He grinned a bit more…almost devilishly. "You want to use _that_ on them, don't you?"

The Sand Moth smiled dangerously in response and nodded.

"Sounds good to me." The Jolly Bear answered.

"I've got no objections." The Ghost Hare added.

"I guess I make it unanimous!" The Tooth Dragon cheered.

The samurai looked ready to soil himself. "What…what is…is he talking…"

Before he could finish, however, he trailed off as the Sand Moth turned his full gaze on him and the men, who nearly shrank back. A moment later, he held his hands out at his sides. Almost immediately, the gold dust around him seemed to slough off, gathering in his palms, and launch itself into the air, forming golden streams of shimmering powder. It might have looked beautiful if the men weren't so terrified of it, for soon it snaked around, whipped and twisted, and came over their heads before breaking and sending a shower of gold down on them. They cringed away from it, but were powerless to keep it from falling and landing on their bodies and immediately "soaking in". In moments, it was done, and all of the men glowed a moment before it dimmed.

The samurai turned to them in panic. "What…what did you…?"

"Just a little something we like to call 'the Curse of the Six-Eyed Cat'." The Laughing Frost calmly responded.

The Jolly Bear let out a chuckle. "Never heard of it? Allow me to explain. Satoru here sees your dreams. He knows all your secrets…all your desires…all your fears…and he just slipped something 'new' to 'be afraid of' into them."

"From now on whenever you head to bed or take a nap, you'll see a little someone in your dreams: a nice little kitty-cat with six eyes." The Ghost Hare explained. "She's a demon, you see. A very hungry one at that. But luckily for you, she's stuck in your dreams. And she can't find you in them…unless, of course, you go about doing misdeeds like lying and stealing kids and beating up on old folks…then she can smell you real nice."

"She starts out, you see, as a mere cat." The big one continued. "But the more evil you do…the bigger she gets. The more her eyes start to glow. The more her teeth poke out from her jaws and drip drool. And she never get smaller again. She just gets bigger and bigger as she smells you…and gets closer and closer…"

"Eventually you'll only dream about an ox-sized cat from Hell chasing you…every time you go to sleep." The pale one went on. "And with each new sin you commit, she gets a bit more ground on you…and a little more…and a little more…until you start waking up with scratches on your body…then _bloody_ scratches…"

"And finally, one day…" The Tooth Dragon concluded. "You'll wake up just as she's about to seize you…and when you open your eyes, the last thing you'll ever see is her on your bed, mouth open wide, ready to devour you whole."

The samurai and his men looked on the brink of dying from fright after hearing all of that, especially as the five grew darker and more "malevolent"-looking with each description. Finally, the Laughing Frost leaned forward to the samurai, smiling ear-to-ear.

"…So I'd make sure you live a good, honest life from now on." He said calmly. "Sweet dreams."

As if on cue, the Sand Moth curled his hand and snapped his fingers. The gold that had landed on the men before suddenly lit up again, despite seeming to have faded before. And immediately after, the still-panicked soldiers rolled their eyes, moaned, and then all passed out. Soon, they were all down in an unconscious heap.

The Jolly Bear immediately burst out. "Ha-ha! See the look on their faces?"

"I have to admit, I thought they really _would_ take dumps in their pants that time…" The Laughing Frost answered as he stood up.

"Ugh…don't remind me of the time that _actually_ happened…" The Tooth Dragon moaned.

"Um…sirs?"

Again, the five went quiet. As one, they turned around behind them. It soon became clear it wasn't the soldiers alone who had been scared. The adults were, by now, shrinking back in abject terror from the five. The children still remained, but even they were looking a bit uncertain and fearful. The only one who was still staying forward was the boy the Laughing Frost himself had rescued. And on seeing he was looking at him, seeming rather anxious and uncomfortable now, he swallowed.

The pale man, however, smiled back at him. "You can call me Jiro, kid."

The boy hesitated. "…Jiro…you…you all aren't _really_ going to do all of that, are you?"

The Ghost Hare snorted. "Considering the fact he was going to throw your friends into slavery and kill you to secure his own escape, you think you'd hate him a bit more than-"

"Of course not, kid." The Laughing Frost cut off. "It's all a gag." He gave the Sand Moth a pat on the shoulder, who waved with an innocent smile. "Satoru here just made sure they see a six-eyed cat in their dreams for the next year."

The Tooth Dragon nervously brushed back some of her feathered headdress…seeming to brush it back as if it was hair in the process. "We're really sorry if we scared you all saying that, but…you know…it's kind of important that we scare the living daylights out of people like this."

"Otherwise we really do have to go for 'bloody massacre'." The Jolly Bear answered with a helpless shrug.

The children didn't look terribly convinced. They seemed like they were uneasy around the five now. The adults, on their part, began to eye them with distrust as well as fear. The five continued to look around to them, trying to seem innocent and friendly, but the looks didn't abate. After a time, their own smiles began to fade. They too began to look uncomfortable. The Tooth Dragon's wings slumped as she pouted and frowned at the others.

"…I told you a hundred times not to tell people I 'eat souls'…"

The Ghost Hare, however, merely grimaced before exhaling. He began to turn around. "Come on, the lot of you… Looks like we wore out our welcome _again_…"

The Sand Moth frowned a bit himself as he let his shoulders slump and began to waddle to turn around. The Jolly Bear looked likewise downcast as he reached out and tapped Jiro's shoulder. "Come on, kenshusei…"

However, the young man held a bit longer. He let out a bit of a snicker and a shrug. "Hey…why the sad faces? You believe me, don't you?"

The children didn't change. Even the one who had smiled and laughed with Jiro earlier stared at him uncertainly…almost keeping himself withdrawn.

The big one sighed. "Jiro…"

"Come on…" The pale man continued, advancing a step toward the one from before. "You saw how much fun we…"

He trailed off. The boy, on seeing Jiro step toward him, immediately recoiled as if a fire had been shoved toward him. His eyes widened a bit, apprehensive now…even possibly fearful. The young man stared a bit longer…but then his smile faded. He realized it was "over". There were no more friendly looks for them now. Just the same fear that their own opponents had. And as a result…he stared helplessly for a moment, almost looking hurt himself…

Finally, a massive hand clapped on his shoulder. "It's time." The big man said quietly. "Let us be gone."

Jiro continued to hold, staring longingly at the children, but seeing nothing but distrust and unease in response. Their parents were coming forward now and starting to drag them away. Not one offered thanks, praise, gratitude, or even a smile. Just fear. Seeing this, at last the young man gave in. Sighing, he turned and began to walk away with the others.

* * *

The village was already fading behind a hill and the cover of trees from the woods the five walked into as they slowly strolled down the road when they began to talk again. They had no qualms about traveling at night, even in a place like this where they could barely see and was riddled with places for bandits to hide. After all, if there was one thing that the incident of about thirty minutes earlier had demonstrated, it was that they had little to fear from ruffians or assailants. Besides…it wasn't like they could stay in that town now. At any rate, none of them were in too high spirits. It wasn't just that they had already traveled a long way just to make it to that village and already had to move on. The reaction stuck with them.

"…We could have been a bit 'nicer' back there." Takara finally said. "I mean, how would you react if someone said that in front of you?"

"'Nicer' nothing. We did them a favor." Takeshi snorted. "What did you expect us to do to those worthless men? Spank them? Make them say 'oh, I promise with all my heart that I'll never do bad things again'? The world isn't that 'nice' of a place."

"Takeshi has the point." Nobuyuki threw in. "I knew it just looking at those men… They wouldn't get 'scared'…they would get 'angry'. They would make that village pay even if it was us who were the ones who opposed them. Or they would have just gone somewhere else and done the same. It is important that they fear us. Otherwise, like I said…_then_ we would have to kill them in such a way to strike fear into the heart of their masters. Do you think they would have forgiven us for that?"

"It was only a matter of time, anyway." Takeshi grumbled as he crossed his arms. "You saw the look in the eyes of their parents. They were scared of us even when the kids were smiling…"

"Well…we _are_ the Jido no Hogo-sha…" Takara said with a helpless shrug.

"Say it like it is…we're yokai." The rabbit-hooded man retorted. "Even if we sat around farming rice everyone would come up with reasons to hate us."

"…We aren't exactly doing any favors for ourselves going around doing things like this."

The four turned their heads slightly to the one who had been silent until now…well, the only one who was silent other than the one who was mute to begin with…Jiro. He had pulled his scarf out into a hood and pulled it over his own head as his bo balanced across one shoulder again, but all in all his face was downcast as he slowly walked along.

"Maybe next time we _should_ cause a bloodbath." He grunted. "If the reaction will be the same either way, then who cares?"

Takara grimaced a bit. "Jiro…don't take it too personally… They gave us all the same look…"

"Well, all of _you_ hadn't tried 'playing around' with the ones you saved." He retorted. "You hadn't actually rescued one personally and then went to the trouble of cheering him up and even getting him 'in on the fun'."

Nobuyuki gave a large shrug. "Different in every town. Luck and circumstance. Sometimes they send you off with gifts…other times with rocks."

"_Too_ many send us off with rocks." Jiro responded. "Too many send us off with those stares…like they actually hate us and fear us worse than the 'real' monsters we just saved them from…"

"First of all, kenshusei, it's not all bad." Takeshi responded. "Heck, just two weeks ago we got a hero's sendoff from that one city. You had kids dancing circles around you. Second…we're ronin, in case you forgot. We aren't doing this to get praise and worship. We're doing it because it's the right thing to do."

"_You_ all are ronin, not me." The young man answered. "Remember?"

There was again a moment of silence from the four around him. They slowed in their step as they walked along. After a few seconds, Nobuyuki exhaled.

"Jiro…you may not be feeling your best right now… But we did do a good thing today. We made a big difference, just as we always do. And I know once you calm down and think on it, you'll realize that's what matters."

The young man paused, then sighed. "…I used to believe that when you guys first took me in. And I'm sure that's the truth for all of you. But…I'm not sure that's 'enough' for me anymore."

Takeshi snorted again. "I can't very well say I'm surprised at your lack of nobility…"

Takara took a different route, moving to the young man's side. "Jiro, what are you saying? You used to tell us how much you loved all of this… That you liked having a 'life without rules'?"

Jiro raised his head and pulled back his hood, softening a bit. "And I do…or, at least, I did. But I'm starting to think if that was just because that was the situation. I mean…when you can't remember anything else other than not fitting in and getting stares by the way you look…_anything_ has to be better, right? And I _do_ love having fun with creeps like those jackasses back in that village. But…I can't just live off of 'fun'. I want to live not feeling like everywhere I go and everyone I run into is just another opportunity to be hated."

A tinkling sound came from Satoru.

"He's right." The big man added. "We all care about you…even Takeshi if he won't admit it."

The tall man scoffed and looked away.

"And I used to think that was enough." Jiro went on. "…But you all don't understand. _You_ know what it was like _before_. You know what it felt like to be comforted by a code, to have the respect and admiration of people…to even know what it was like to have people care about you growing up. Me?" He sighed. "…All I know was waking up nude in a pile of snow one day and then having people scream in fear of me."

"I still say you're just whining." Takeshi answered. "You have a lot to be grateful for. Look at me. You don't see me letting one bad experience get me down…"

"I'm just really starting to wonder if it was such a good idea for me to tag along with all of you." Jiro answered.

Both Satoru and Takara looked anxious on hearing that. The latter's feathers smoothed and she shrank a little while Satoru looked more nervously at him. A chuckle came from the rabbit-hooded man, but also tinged with bitterness. "Hear that? Now it's 'tag along'? Little stripling looked like an abandoned puppy when we found him who didn't have a friend in the world…now he's acting like he did us all such a 'big favor'…"

Nobuyuki interjected here, speaking in a softer voice. "Jiro…even you don't exactly have the same 'story' as us… You can't say you don't 'belong' here. You said that doing this made you feel 'alive'. And while you may be…how do we say…a bit of a trickster…I know inside you that you adhere to bushido the same as the rest of us. You know that you make a difference here…that you do things that no one else can do. That this is the best way you can use the power you have."

Jiro hesitated, and then lowered his head again. "I know…I know… But…I'm just having second thoughts, is all. I _do_ still feel good doing this most of the time but…there's just something that's still 'missing'. I still don't feel like I'm fully 'one of you'. Maybe it's because I can't remember anything…but it honestly feels as if there's something I can't recall that I used to have that I'm not getting here. And nights like this…it just makes things worse…"

He looked up a moment later when he felt a massive hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up and see Nobuyuki had moved next to him.

"Like I tell you time and again…" He said as he smiled at the smaller man. "Give it a night to think it over. Never make a decision like that." He snapped his fingers for effect.

"Nobuyuki is right, Jiro." Takara added, coming in closer again. "Besides…you know, _you_ mean a lot to us too after spending almost a year together. Just relax. I bet by tomorrow morning you'll barely be thinking about what ended up happening and then you'll be raring and ready to go to the next town." She smiled a bit more. "You _know_, deep down inside, the children love you more than the rest of us. You're the one who can give them a snowball fight whenever you want, after all."

She said this last part with a tease, elbowing Jiro a bit. In spite of his mood, the pale man smiled a bit at that.

"I guess you're right…" He said after a while. "But I'm not sure how much they'll want that after next winter. It's only the middle of summer and already looking pretty bad…"

"I'll say." Takeshi threw in. "This is the fourth village in a row we've run into with a bad crop. I used to leave my 'little presents' with a mix of money or food. The past two towns it's been nothing but food…"

"I feel we'll be 'awful busy' in the next few months." Nobuyuki stated as he removed his hand and began to step forward again. "More men like this daimyo will demand tribute besides rice and fish when they cannot get it… More war may break out for land…"

"Hear that, kid?" Takeshi called back to Jiro. "You can't quit now just as the 'workload' is hitting it's worst point."

Gruff as this was, Jiro couldn't help but smile a bit on hearing it. It was pretty much the closest he would ever get to hearing Takeshi saying he wanted Jiro around.

Takara, however, was already looking a bit worried at what she had heard. "More fighting…I hate it whenever things like that break out. I mean…as strong as we are we can only be in so many places at once…"

A light tinkling rang out.

The rabbit-hooded man frowned. "You got a point there… Even good as I am I can only jump around a mile at the most, and then only when there's plenty of shadows… I _really_ hate it when we have to start a 'triage'…pick and choose when people we can save…"

Another tinkling rang out.

"Perhaps it would be a good idea to work on our 'splitting up' tactics, yes?" Nobuyuki suggested. "More effective that way…"

"But I always thought we worked best as a team." Takara protested. "I mean…it kind of suits us, doesn't it? How a whole gang of us 'creeps out of the shadows' at once?"

Yet another tinkling…too soft to realize it was 'fiercer' than before.

"Aw, come on." Jiro answered the feathered woman with a smile. "You saw what happened back there, didn't you? Even one of us was almost enough to make them cry for mom." A pause. "Then again…they _did_ do the incredibly stupid move of taking a swing at Nobuyuki…"

The tinkling went off constantly now, but still was too soft to notice.

The big man gave a laugh. "Yes…but where's the fun if they don't try to attack me, eh? How am I supposed to clonk their heads if they run away from me before I can grab them? I'd actually like to be a bit 'smaller'…get them to come to me. After all, my favorite type of fight is when my foes just come out in front of me to face me head-"

Nobuyuki was cut off as a light suddenly flashed in front of him. He came to a halt, along with the other four, and they all went for their weapons as the light grew brighter and bathed the entire section of road within the woods in fiery light. Their heads snapped forward…and got a rather unpleasant surprise.

There were sixty armed men in front of them. And unlike the peon soldiers from back in the last village, these all had the look of higher rank and training. There were a number of actual samurai among them as opposed to just one hired thugi But the ones in front of them were only part of it. A quick glance to the peripheral vision would show that the trees on either side of the road were filled with twenty archers to a side, bows and arrows already knocked and aimed at them. Even Takeshi tensed on seeing this. He was fast to be sure…but even he had a limit. As for the others, there was little hope. Takara instinctively began to flit her wings and got into the air, but she dared move no more. The bows were already on her. The archers here were apparently good at doing things besides firing volleys. They actually had marksmanship. Jiro tried looking behind them as he got his bo out…only to see that another forty soldiers were crawling out of the woods like ants from a mound and filling in behind them.

The five were silent, looking about at how they were suddenly surrounded. This was a different situation from before, in spite of the similar numbers. Now their opponents had the advantage of surprise and getting into position. They also seemed to have better trained individuals who were better equipped and with more confidence, not stricken with fear as the last ones were. It wasn't enough to guarantee their success, but the five realized that it was enough to make the odds far more in their opponent's favor…and actually introduced the possibility that they might not be able to fight them off. That was something none of the five were used to.

"Alright…" Takeshi said in a quiet, grouchy voice after a moment. "Did _no one_ manage to spot us walking into an ambush and think to say anything?"

A tinkling went off. Jiro and the others looked to the source, and saw Satoru's eyes were practically bugged out of his head, his hands in fists, as he had obviously frantically been trying to tell them that they were walking into a trap for about thirty seconds now and only making a light "tinkle" as a result.

"We really must get Satoru a bell or somesuch…" Nobuyuki muttered.

"Why didn't he just smack his blades together?" Takeshi griped.

"Why didn't _you_ hear them coming with those big ears of yours?" Jiro retorted.

"Could you guys clam up for now?" Takara interjected. "In case you haven't noticed, we're in a bit of a bad spot and I don't think we want to let them think we're planning something!"

The five were silent and looked around a bit more. The soldiers and samurai gazed at them with steely eyes. There was, perhaps, a touch of fear in some of them, but they were highly disciplined enough to "control it". That made things harder.

"Bad news, my friends…" Nobuyuki said after a moment.

"I kind of guessed that already…" Jiro sighed.

"These men have the colors and insignia of the shogunate." Nobuyuki answered.

Takara gulped. "Which means they've been dispatched by the shogun to deal with us specifically…"

"Guess the bounty finally got so high he didn't want to have to pay it." Jiro said with a laugh…although, deep inside, he was as nervous as the rest of them.

"Over a hundred and forty men just for us? I suppose we should be flattered…" Takeshi stated.

"If you're trying to make a desperate plan for escape, I would advise you not to try it."

The five went silent again and looked forward. Numerous lamps had been struck at once to bathe the area in a visible glow…more than was necessary, one would think. The five could actually make out details on many of the men's faces. However, two of the samurai in front parted to allow another man through. This one didn't have his weapon drawn although he was in full regalia as he stood in front of the others. Out of all of the soldiers, his eyes were the coolest and most void of fear. His features were sleek and strong, his eyes cunning and focused. He wasn't too old, but he had a wisdom about him that betrayed his years. Definitely a devotee of the military and great at his job, if nothing but an obedient "pet" of the Shogun. At any rate, he was someone that the five all recognized as well. He crossed his arms and fixed a steely gaze on the five, perhaps one showing a slight bit of anger.

Nobuyuki smiled. "Ah, Lord Nakamura. Has been some time, yes?"

"Yeah…" Jiro chimed in. "I think I remember you. Nine months ago back on the eastern provinces…"

The man's, Nakamura's, eyes narrowed a bit. "…And I remember you as well, 'Laughing Frost'. As well as spending two painful months recovering from the ankle I broke when I slipped on the ice you made."

Jiro snickered. "Well, if you had stopped chasing me when I told you to, that wouldn't have happened, now would it have?"

"The people of this country may fear you all as devils." Nakamura went on, ignoring this comment by Jiro although he seemed to grow a bit angrier from it. "But I know whether you be onmyoji, yokai, or kami…you all bleed. You can all die on the ends of blades like any other mortal man. Therefore, do not be so foolish as to think you can escape this with your lives."

"Saying we can't 'escape with our lives' is one thing, friend." Takeshi spoke up. "But perhaps you and your men should be asking themselves if they're in the 'half' that we will manage to kill before you take us down in the best-case scenario?"

The samurai paused for a moment. His eyes narrowed a bit as he looked over the five. Yet after a time, as if this was paining him to do so, he exhaled. "I did not arrange this interception with the intention of killing the five of you."

"Yeah right!" Takara piped up. "Think we're going to fall for that?"

"You haven't forgotten the fact that the one who appealed to the shogun to declare us enemies of Japan and wanted us brought in dead or alive was you, have you?" Nobuyuki asked. "That puts a slight dampener on our relationship."

"Believe me, if I had my way, I would not have bothered giving you a warning." Nakamura answered. "I would have simply had you shot walking into the forest. However, that is not in my code and, more importantly, that is not what the Shogun requests. I put aside my loathing, along with everything else, for his desires."

"And just what are his desires for the Jido no Hogo-sha?" Takeshi asked. "To bring us before him so he can personally remove our heads before a crowd of his 'adoring public'? To show how even so-called 'demons' are powerless before his dynasty?"

Nakamura stiffened a bit.

"…As much as I dislike it, my orders are to escort you to Arender-ken castle and explain the situation at hand on arrival."

This actually gave a bit of pause among the group.

"Really now." Jiro answered. "And what's so important about Arender-ken castle that it can only be told to us there?"

"The Shogun has specifically ordered that nothing be told about the matter outside of those present within the Arender-ken province, and even then solely on a need-to-know basis." The samurai answered. "That said…I can tell you that he wishes to recruit you for your services and abilities."

The five were silent. They actually stared back in some incredulousness for a few moments. But then, Nobuyuki broke it with one of his chuckles. This time, it wasn't just him but everyone else with him as well.

"Ha-ha! If this was not a true samurai, I'd say this was a weak joke!"

"The _Shogun_ wants to recruit _us_." Takeshi echoed. "The Jido no Hogo-sha…the Band of Five Demons…terrorizers of the countryside, scourge of men, and the most fearsome supernatural threat to the shogunate's rule."

"You dispatch every bounty hunter within Japan and the coast of China to deal with us over the years to say nothing of hundreds of men and soldiers," Takara added. "And now you claim you want our help? We'd have to be insane! What sort of idiots do you take us for?"

"You're hardly in a position to be refusing such an offer regardless of its veracity," Nakamura continued, clearly not that pleased with this reaction. "But my lord speaks the truth. He needs you and your abilities specifically. You are, after all, a bit of an anomaly. Most other yokai are either the stuff of legend or things to be feared. To actually have five wandering around like common ronin is something else entirely."

Jiro eased up on his bo, putting it around on his shoulders and letting his arms hang over it. "And what is so terribly important or special that only the five of us can deal with it? I thought part of the reason the shogunate wants our heads on poles is to show off how little their dynasty needs to fear things such as spirits and demons. That having us as 'trophies' would make the shogun look rather good compared to his forebears…"

"Be that as it may, he still believes he has need of you." The samurai answered. "As I said before, I am not to tell you why until we arrive at Arender-ken. However, I will tell you this much now. The Shogun has decreed that if you do this task for him, he will revoke your death sentences throughout the whole of Japan."

Again, this gave the five pause.

"…Seriously?" Nobuyuki asked.

"Obviously a trap…" Takeshi grunted.

"Normally I'd be inclined to agree with you," Jiro responded. "But not this time as this guy is my least-favorite kind of shogunate dog…the kind who always does as he's told and never deviates. Unlike those bastards back at the village, these guys would rather die than tell a lie. It'd haunt him until the day he died if he knew the only reason he got us was by tricking us."

"I think you give the shogunate a bit too much credit." The rabbit-hooded man answered. "No one sticks to an honor code too long when it starts becoming 'inconvenient'…"

"True, but keep in mind…" Takara answered, giving a quick look around at the still-posed archers and swordsmen. "They think they have the upper hand at the moment…and…I've got to admit they aren't too far from the truth…"

"If they _are_ sticking to their word, then all we have to do is follow them to this castle, right?" Jiro asked with a shrug. "Seems simple enough."

"Unless they've got an even _bigger_ ambush waiting there…" Takeshi pointed out.

Nobuyuki rubbed his beard a bit, seeming to think the matter over. "I suppose if we refuse," He said after a moment to Nakamura. "You are ordered to destroy us?"

"I'm ordered to take you there willing or unwilling." The samurai answered. "The shogun said he wanted you all alive at least that far if at all possible, but if not…I am free to use whatever means necessary to get at least _some_ of you there."

"So being killed here is still a very real possibility, eh?" The big man answered. He turned to his side, looking to Satoru. "Well little buddy, we haven't really asked you for your opinion yet. What do you say?"

The small, squat man seemed to think for a moment. He scratched his head, letting a few gold flakes fall from it. He looked to Nobuyuki for a long time. At last, however, he made a "thumbs up" gesture, indicating the affirmative.

Jiro gave a shrug as well. "If Satoru has no problem, I've got no problem."

"It would be nice to have the shogun off our backs for a while…" Takara shrugged.

Takeshi still looked hesitant, but seeing as the vote was 4 to 1, he merely grumbled something as he removed his hand from his kunai, which he had been holding onto the entire time. After that, Nobuyuki turned fully back to the samurai.

"Well, Lord Nakamura, you may withdraw your weapons. It seems we have made an agreement to accompany you to Arender-ken."

"My subordinates will continue to train their weapons on you until such a time as I see fit to dismiss them." The man almost coldly retorted. "But if you are coming along willingly, then we shall set out right away." With that, in spite of what Nakamura just said, some of the soldiers began to put their weapons away while the others at least "eased up" a bit, although they kept them out. Soon, all of them were turning and getting ready to move out again. "We only have so many horses with us, so you, along with the bulk of my men, will have to walk. Arender-ken is three days march at a rapid pace, and that's if we start now, so I hope you can all keep up."

"Three days march, eh?" Nobuyuki echoed. With the exception of Satoru, who gave an uneasy grimace, none of the others seemed that affected by it. However, the big man let out a laugh as he rubbed his hands together. "I would hope they have a feast ready for us when we get there… Can't go doing the shogun's work on an empty stomach."

"I still say this is a big mistake." Takeshi grumbled.

"Probably." Jiro said with a shrug. "But who knows? Maybe it's a nice change of pace. It could be fun."

Takeshi grimaced at him. "Weren't you the mopey one five minutes ago talking like he wanted to quit?"

"Yeah…but it feels nice that someone _wants_ us around for a change, even if it is the guy who'd prefer us drawn and quartered." The pale man admitted. "…Besides, there's something else about this."

"Oh yeah?" Takara chimed in as she began to hover forward, moving out as the soldiers did. "What?"

"I dunno." Jiro answered as he began to walk as well. "Just that when I heard the name 'Arender-ken'…something inside me felt a bit…excited."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	2. Arender-ken Castle

The five may have been "yokai", but that didn't matter that they didn't hate a "long walk" as much as the next man. Jiro, on his part, thought that hanging around with official members of the royal army would allow them more time in local inns and eating good food. Unfortunately, it simply meant marching longer with less breaks. It wasn't long before Jiro got tired of walking and wanted to utilize his ability to fly. Sure, it annoyed the "earthbound" ones like Takeshi, who made no secret of his irritation, but he didn't really care. Why should he punish himself for Takeshi not having that power? However, as it turned out Nakamura was ordering them not to "engage in anything supernatural". That was kind of an "umbrella term" to Jiro as well as an unsophisticated one, but the five agreed to comply for the time being and behaved "normally".

The first two days were nothing special. The pace was always rapid and Nakamura, a true military man at heart, kept them moving so fast they probably would have taken four or five days to cover the same area of ground. Jiro noticed that everyone else with him was more "ill at ease" as they went along, however. It seemed none of them were familiar with this part of the country. They had pretty much reached their northern "limit" at the last village. They were in parts they normally stayed clear of, mostly because the army and more "well-guarded" provinces started not too farther north of here. Furthermore, there were fewer people who lived in this region and with little political turmoil, so there was little need to go in that direction. It was impossible to move about without alerting unwanted attention. Yet after the first day, they had passed the "political barrier" to their travel and were back into the country…and surprisingly wild country at that. It didn't take long for things to level out into more natural wide-open spaces, filled with trees, mountains, and more rolling landscapes. Jiro was a bit amazed to see such a long stretch of country filled with such wildness and natural beauty.

"Isn't this lovely?" He said after a time as he admired a patch of wildflowers. "Very picturesque, this route. The mountains and all of these trees are a nice touch. I'd love to see how this place looks like in winter."

"Heh, you'd like _anything_ in winter…even a desert." Nobuyuki answered.

"True." Jiro answered with a shrug. "But this place looks like it'd be better than most. I'm a little surprised there's a fiefdom all the way up here. Seems the shogun hasn't had much opportunity to exploit tribute…"

"This might not be so bad after all!" Takara cheered as she fluttered over one patch of flowers and gave them a smell. "I wouldn't mind spending some time in this part of the world that's still wild and lovely… Maybe we'll even run into some other yokai!"

Jiro chuckled. "I think I could go ahead and do without _that_…but it beats trying to work my way through a major city with skin and hair like this." He turned to Takeshi. "How about it? So long as we're keeping up this rapid pace, how about taking in the greenery? It might do you good to ease up."

Takeshi, however, didn't smile or react. His eyes remained forward. "I'd pay more attention to what's going on around you, kid."

The white-haired man sighed. "You're a real stick in the mud some days, aren't you?"

"I'm serious." He darkly retorted. "All of you. Take a look around."

Jiro sighed and did as he was told, as did the others. However, he soon noticed the rabbit-hooded man was right. The soldiers guarding them seemed nervous all of the sudden. Their gazes turned far northward, past the road they were on to what lied far beyond it. Anxiety hung like a cloud.

Nobuyuki raised an eyebrow. "Someone wave around the 'stick of ugly'?"

"I have no idea." Takeshi answered. "…But they all turned that way the second Jiro here said 'winter'."

The young man's own smile faded a bit on hearing that.

At any rate, the rest of that day was without incident. That night, many of the soldiers seemed anxious to be sleeping in a country so wild and untamed compared to most of the other "rural" areas of the world. The Jido no Hogosha, on the other hand, were right at home. They _were_ yokai, after all. And being out and about in the wild, closer to their "element", only made them feel more at ease. While the comforts of a town may have been welcome, there was no problem with this location here. About the only thing that was bad about it, at least for some of them, was that the night was very chilly for summer. Extremely chilly, in fact, such that one couldn't abide the wind blowing unless they wrapped themselves in a cloak or a blanket. Jiro was fine with this as was the rest of the Jido no Hogosha, but he realized it _did_ seem unseasonably cool. In fact, it had felt that way through many of the villages and locales they went do over the past week…too cool for summer, at any rate.

And, once again, Jiro noticed that the soldiers not only disliked the cold…but seemed "fearful" of it…

The biggest surprise happened the next day, however. While the vegetation and landscape around them was still green and alive, the flowers were stunted and still emerging from the bud. The reason was clear enough. While it seemed like the peak of summer and for all things to be growing verdant and strong, the day was very cool and downright chilly whenever the wind blew. The only reason the vegetation was green had to be because it had a chance to grow, but then had been struck by this a cold snap. It definitely couldn't have grown in this weather. Soon, it was a good thing they were briskly marching, for that did wonders at keeping warm. But even so, as they continued to walk all day, only Jiro and Nobuyuki were completely unaffected.

"Good grief…it's so chilly…" Takara said after a while. "I thought this was supposed to be summer?"

A tinkling came from Satoru.

"We ain't _that_ far north, friend." Takeshi answered him. "It's not like this is Hokkaido. Besides, as close as we are to the ocean, we should be getting plenty of warm breezes coming in…"

"I'll admit, I feel pretty 'spry' in this kind of weather." Jiro answered. "Which means the rest of you must be pretty chilly. I thought this was a bad year for weather…but this is a bit ridiculous."

"Starting to really wonder why these men are fearful of winter…" Nobuyuki muttered. "And wondering if we'll find out fairly soon…"

The next morning brought some relief as the group marched on, but not as much as one would think. Rather than progressively get warmer, the temperature stayed quite chilly. The reason was clear to anyone who had ever spent a lot of time outdoors. As they continued to go north, any "offset" in temperature that might have occurred as the sun came up was negated by growing progressively colder. Jiro enjoyed the relief and Nobuyuki seemed fine with it, but the others were soon trying to move even faster and stay more "in the center" of the soldiers surrounding them to keep away the cold wind.

"Never seen weather this unseasonably cold in my life…" Takeshi grumbled after a while.

"You can see it in the plants too." Takara added. "Some of them are starting to look wilted. And there's no more wildflowers…"

At long last, after midday, the group came into a new province. None of them had ever been this way before but, to be honest, it was quite lovely and picturesque. It looked fairly well-off. Based on the nature of the houses, settlements, and farmlands in the villages they passed through, it seemed as if the tribute that the local daimyo demanded was very small. That or there was enough surplus to avoid trouble. There wasn't any place that looked too terribly run down. Fresh paint, new roofs, gardens and some opportunity for ornamentation here and there. The province looked very well off for being so remote.

As they walked through the country and passed by several other villages, the reason began to grow clear. It seemed there were a large number of craftsmen and traders within this province. Normally, that wasn't too terrible of a good sign. Farmers, after all, were considered the mainstay of the country, and the price of having a great deal of natural mountains, forests, and beauty around this province was reduced farmland. Yet the group also noticed a high amount of ships in dry dock, along with nets, poles, and other apparel to allow for fishing and trading. Both seemed to be well-established operations within the province. It must have been rich in catches if they had so many boats, and none of the buildings that looked like places for fishermen to operate out of seemed in poor condition or dire straits. And these were all the buildings far from shore. Closer to it, who knew how many more there were? The fact that this province had the resources or means to support all these people so far from the coast meant there had to be more than enough. It's likely that they didn't bother confining whatever crafts or goods they made her to the local province, but used the ships to take them far and wide all over Japan. With this locale, they were probably able to maximize profits from this "lower" class.

Jiro soon realized that they had_ better_ be able to, because he saw no one was bothering to work the various fields around the villages. And there was little reason to either. The crops were either stunted or withering. If it was this cold during the day, he could expect that it would actually frost at night. He wouldn't be too surprised if that was the case, too. Yet there was something else he noticed as well. As he walked along, most people were either indoors or minimizing how much they were moving around. No one seemed too eager to move their boats or goods or anything else out away from the villages and toward the coast, leaving only a few "errand runners". However, the few that _were_ out for one reason or another (mostly firewood, from the looks of it, and occasionally clothing materials) occasionally gave looks to the Jido no Hogo-sha. All of them were a bit unsettling to look at normally but usually awe-inspiring.

When they saw Jiro, however, and his frost-white hair, pale face and "wintry" style attire, they looked either very scared…or angry.

The pale man may have been more among the "clever" than the "wise", but he was well aware of what he looked like and he began to put two and two together.

He began to seriously doubt this weather was simply "a bad year".

At any rate, night had fallen again by the time they finally worked through enough of the province to get to the castle itself. It was here they also saw the ocean at last, their path taking them toward the coast to see the majestic sea, although there was still quite a bit of land both to the north and west. As the group approached, they noticed that the castle was in a strange position. An inlet of water into the land had left one large bit of rock isolated from the rest of the mainland. It was on this bit of rock that a large, lovely castle had been erected. It was at least five levels tall, vast in scope, and with an elaborate stone wall guarding its access from the shore, via two bridges leading across the inlet. It was filled with light and activity, decked with colors of greens, gold, and purple…seemingly the colors of the realm itself. In fact, it seemed to be arranged quite festively, and as the group got nearer they saw signs that there had been quite a celebration not long ago. Stands for fine food and drink, decorations and game areas zoned out, racks for masks and kites…all of it not having been properly taken down but rather abandoned and left for the elements and wild to tear apart. The food alone was quite rotten, indicating that local wildlife had eaten their fill and yet still had left much behind to mildew with no one ever removing it. Of course, it might have been out even longer considering the temperature…

By the time they got to the castle, everyone except Jiro and Nobuyuki were quite cold in spite of moving fast. Several soldiers were visibly shivering, for by now it was chilly enough for frost to start forming. It was incredibly refreshing to Jiro…but he noticed as they drew closer that most of the soldiers began to give him the same look the people did when he, his shirt so loose most of his bare chest was exposed, clearly enjoyed the night…and even he became so unnerved by the look that he held back a bit. He also noted that at the dock nearest to the castle multiple ships were in harbor. They looked like the more expensive kind, however. Definitely ones for those with means as opposed to fishers or merchants.

The thick walls were guarded well by armored men of the region, ones different from the shogun's own soldiers. All were on edge and gave the Jido no Hogo-sha very grim looks. Some of the archers looked to fire at them on sight. However, on seeing Nakamura, they stood down readily and opened the gates.

As they crossed the bridge over the water and into the main courtyard, Jiro noted that it wasn't just the ships that bore the look of a large number of nobles. The stables were filled with horses and wagons that could only have come from other vassals that had been making a political visit of some sort, as opposed to a wartime one. And based on how splendid some of them looked and how they had been built for baggage, it seemed they would have been bearing gifts as well. Not only that, but the inner courtyard was even more decorated than the outside…or, rather, had been. There were lines hung up that had been filled with lanterns and banners hanging from every pole bearing the same colors of the region. The wind and elements had torn most of it, granted, but still it caught his eye.

Finally, the group moved to a large set of doors, also guarded. They were let right in and through an interior garden on the others side. It seemed to incorporate natural pools into it, but Jiro noticed a stench around them that was none too pleasant. It turned out to be masses of rotting fish. They looked like the ornamental kind themselves, but they were all "belly up" in the water or on the shore. Something had killed all of them in a snap…and he assumed it was the unseasonable cold. Beyond that was one final set of doors, and beyond _that_, they were inside.

Jiro heard Takara exhale in relief as soon as she stepped in, for between fires, lamps, and the various people moving about, this castle was far warmer and more inviting than outdoors. The interior was very well cared for and painted with soft colors. Someone had taken a great amount of effort to make it look like a welcome place as opposed to one that instilled fear or terror. It seemed almost more like a large manor than a castle of a feudal lord. As Nakamura led them in further yet, the five noticed that in addition to a large number of servants moving about inside, there were also numerous nobles and landowners from other provinces that they recognized. Most gave the five murderous looks. After all…they had caused them trouble before. Jiro merely grinned and waved as he kept going inside.

At length they approached a double set of doors covered with fine metal and engraved with images that Jiro only assumed represented the local noble household. On the other side was a hall likely used for dining in grand occasions, but was currently emptied. There was a fire set on one side of it, and candles lit as well, so that the entire chamber was filled with light and warmth. However, only one individual was inside at the time.

He seemed a bit short, lean, and was poised so close to the fire with his back turned that all the five noticed of him was a shadow. Jiro assumed he was the lord of the castle, although something about him looked familiar on first glance… At any rate, in coming here, Nakamura finally stopped and turned to his men. He ordered all but a fistful back into the castle to either rest or relieve the guard. As for the few that were left, they immediately fanned out through the room and took their positions at the doors. It wasn't very frightening to the five. After all, they could easily take reduced numbers. Instead, they calmly walked further into the room when Nakamura finally went on, and after that came to a stop when he went further to the fire and off to one side, apparently deferring to the man poised in front of it.

When the doors had been shut and a few moments of nothing but the sound of crackling embers and footsteps rang out, Nakamura gestured to the five. "As requested, sir…I give you the Jido no Hogo-sha."

For a moment, on hearing that title, Jiro thought this was the shogun himself. Rather puny and feeble compared to his reputation, if such was the case… However, when the voice of the man responded, he realized it wasn't the shogun at all but someone more familiar...

"Yes, yes…I'm aware of that. The pages sent me word on your approach. Thank you, Lord Nakamura." He remarked somewhat impatiently. After that, he gave a deep sigh, as if he was doing something he really didn't want to do, and then turned around to face the five.

Jiro and the others recognized him almost immediately. In his case, it instantly made him chuckle and grin. He knew this lean and gaunt fellow anywhere. He was unmistakable between his sunken features, his oversized, pointed nose, and, most of all, his avaricious gleam in his eyes. The Jido no Hogo-sha had made numerous "visits" to people under his direct command before or operating on his orders, as they usually ended up being underhanded schemes to get more wealth and authority for himself…and usually ended up falling through terribly even if the five weren't there to throw a "fly in his ointment".

"Well, well, well…" Jiro snickered. "If it isn't my favorite court onmyoji…Itachinootoko."

Instantly, the man's face turned red. _"Itachitoko*._ You'd do well to remember that, you monstrous brat. You're in _my_ domain this time, surrounded by men at my beck and call. If I so wished I could have your life ended right now."

"Aw…you're not still upset about me 'snowing you in' that outhouse, are you?" Jiro innocently answered as he braced his bo over his shoulders, letting his arms hang over it. "What's a mere six foot pile of snow to a 'great and powerful' onmyoji like you? Why, as much as I heard you talk about how great you are, I'm surprised you didn't have an army of shinigami just take it away for you…"

Itachitoko looked livid with rage by now. He seemed nearly ready to do as he threatened and order his men to attack. However, Nobuyuki, seeing that Jiro was pushing too many of his buttons, quickly stepped forward, held out an arm to push him back, and faced the court onmyoji.

"Now, now…there is no need for the iron chain yanking, alright?" He said, looking between Jiro and Itachitoko for a moment before focusing back on the old man. "Lord Nakamura here says the shogunate wishes to recruit us, yes?"

"Let us be clear on one thing before we go any further…" Itachitoko snorted, holding out a finger toward them. "No one _wishes_ to recruit you. As far as I'm concerned, you are all foul demons that this world would be better off without. You have made a mockery of the shogun's domain and royal court with your monstrous, vile acts causing repeated crimes and law violations throughout the realm. You fill our land with chaos and lawlessness by your profane, unholy, supernatural devilry and were this any other time I would be happy to banish you into some dark, forgotten realm where you all belong."

"Now don't sugar-coat it, sir." Takeshi snorted as he crossed his arms. "Tell us how you _really_ feel."

Jiro merely snickered as he let his eyes wander around the room. "And how do you plan on doing all that, Mr. Big Bad Onmyoji? Last time I saw you, one of your little 'magic tricks' couldn't even fool eight-year-old children… You planning on pulling coins out of our ears until we cry for mercy?"

Nobuyuki held up another hand as a stopping gesture, but chuckled at Itachitoko. "I have to admit…you have a very funny way of asking for our assistance. But I take it this must be 'big deal' if you need our help none the less, yes?"

Itachitoko hesitated, but then swallowed down some of his anger and took in a deep breath. "…As much as I loathe you all, I have inquired of the gods and there can be no substitute. We have no chance in this current matter without your help."

"The Jido-no-Hogo-sha…" Nakamura spoke up from nearby. "The oddest gang of self-proclaimed 'ronin' in the land…and the most notorious criminals. Not human at all…but rather five yokai masquerading as human. Self-appointed 'champions of justice' who commit countless crimes against the shogunate and his vassals in open rebellion…claiming to promote justice and standing for nothing but lawlessness and chaos."

Takeshi grit his teeth. "And since when was the shogun the 'standard' of justice, friend? What god came down from on high and said that anything that 'hurts him' is automatically a violation of the natural order?"

"The only people we attack are those who oppress the very farmers and villagers that build up his kingdom." Takara maintained. "Those landowners who think that they don't need to do much as catch a fish or harvest a grain of rice and yet they think they're entitled to take whatever they want from their people."

"They _are_, in case you are not familiar with how a fiefdom works." Nakamura retorted. "Those people want to live on a daimyo's land, exploit his access to water, gain the benefit of protection from his armed forces… Do you think daimyo's should run a 'charity' for such things? That they're not entitled to compensation for that?"

"And do _you_ think that compensation should extend to the lives and service of men, women, and children?" Nobuyuki answered. "That widows and the poor should be punished further by having their homes burned and their family members slaughtered for being unable to come up with tribute? That people already struggling to give the shogun and emperor their 'due' should be penalized further by losing what little support and happiness they have? We have seen many families 'take the food out of their children's mouths' in order to meet demands for tribute. If you force people to watch their own children starve to death, or subject them to lives of toil and misery, does your shogun really think he will be able to maintain power forever?"

"And we ain't even getting into landowners like the one we just stopped who pretty much treated every boy in every town as a soldier to impress into service and every girl as a harlot to be abused at will." Takeshi snorted.

Nakamura merely frowned coldly. "Bold-faced lies from treacherous, vile demons. As if there was anything you said that could be expected to hold a kernel of truth in it, _especially_ regarding the shogun. We've made note about how you frequently come to the 'aid' of children…no doubt poisoning them against the shogun and the emperor…intending one day for them to cause even more rebellion and trouble…to lead them and their families to destruction when people like me will be summoned to suppress such rebellion. Monsters such as you sicken me."

Takeshi kept frowning. "Well, isn't that just typical for a human… Needing to find a 'monster' to direct everyone's anger against so no one notices you. Your shogun owes us both for that as well as keeping his people from revolting, it looks like…"

Both Itachitoko and Nakamura were beginning to look rather incensed at this point, as were the five members of the Jido no Hogo-sha. Seeing the tensions flare, the guards began to react, looking like they might have to draw their weapons soon. However, before things could escalate any further, everyone in the chamber was distracted by the sounds of one of the side doors opening. At once, they all turned to it.

Jiro was just in time to see a handsome young man walking in, dressed in all the finery of being both a noble himself as well as some indications of military experience. Rather unusual, considering how young he appeared. Most his age would allow their fathers to do "that sort of thing" or whatever samurai were beneath them. At any rate, he soon came inside and pushed the door to. Once it was shut, he advanced a bit and then bowed respectfully to Itachitoko and Nakamura.

"Forgive me for being late, sirs." He stated. On rising, however, he spotted the five. He was a bit taken aback at first, naturally from their appearance, but then turned fully to them and, a bit to Jiro's surprise as well as the rest, bowed to them as well. That was stunning. No noble ever gave _them_ a bow of respect.

"This must be the Jido-no-Hogo-sha. Welcome to Arender-ken." He stated.

Takara blinked a few times. "Someone actually greeting us politely? Whoa…that's new."

"Almost doesn't seem right, eh?" Nobuyuki chuckled in response. "But…do not forget, it's only polite to return the favor." He answered, before he bowed as well. Soon, the others followed suit, even Jiro. After all, he could afford to be civil to the one noble he had ever met who was the same to him. Soon the lord rose, and they did as well. "The lord of Arender-ken, I presume?"

The young man blushed a bit in response. "Oh…heh…certainly not. I'm just another visiting noble like the others for the coming-of-age festival. I am Lord Hachiro, the eighth son of Lord Miyamoto of the White Isles."

"Ooooh…" Takara echoed, looking around again. "That would explain all the decorations…"

"Looks like it 'got out' a bit early, friend." Takeshi remarked.

The young man began to look a bit nervous at that. "Well…yes. It seems the other lords haven't told you the whole story yet…" He turned to Itachitoko and Nakamura again. "We should probably be quick. I don't think Lady Akiko will be delayed for long. She knew this meeting was going to take place and she insisted on being in on it."

"It's better if she hears nothing of it." Nakamura responded. "It will only make things more difficult for her as well as for the fiefdom at large."

Hachiro looked more uncomfortable at that. "My lord…I understand that Lady Akiko has a personal stake in this…but this _is_ her domain and, as of now, she is the current ruler of Arender-ken. She is the one with ultimate authority here-"

"I'm afraid that is where you are wrong, Lord Hachiro." Itachitoko interjected. "This may be Arender-ken, but, last I checked, Arender-ken is itself merely one of many of the emperor's holdings. Therefore, the word of the shogun has the authority here, and we are representatives of the shogun."

"It is better ultimately for relations with Arender-ken that we handle the punishment at this time without her input, lest we be forced to pull rank on this province and stress matters later." Nakamura added.

"Besides," Itachitoko threw in. "From what I saw at the celebration, it seems as if you being the ruler of Arender-ken is rather inevitable at this point."

Jiro saw Hachiro grimace on hearing that, and actually clench and release his fists uncomfortably. He bowed his head and said no more. However, by this point, what was being said was arousing more and more of his curiosity. He wasn't sure what the situation was, but it was sounding rather serious at this point…

Takeshi broke in with a sigh. "Look…as much as I loved being kept in the dark for three days, I'd really like to know why exactly we're here. I never was one for all of this 'keeping secrets right in front of me' talk. And the sooner we're done here, the sooner we can be out of your hair."

The three looked up and to the five once again. They looked to each other afterward, exchanging grimaces. It seemed they had a bit of a hard time trying to decide who should "go first". There were a few moments of silence as they hesitated. Finally, Nakamura drew in a deep breath and faced them.

"…Very well. I'll begin. But before I do, I should advise you all that this is to be kept secret from everyone. What we are talking of is likely to create a panic if the truth becomes widespread…yet while the truth is not disclosed, what will likely happen as a result of these actions will be branded as treason or an attempt to seize power by the citizenry. To keep any civil unrest, it is therefore in everyone's best interest to keep this quiet."

He gestured about him.

"As you have no doubt guessed, there was indeed a celebration within this castle nearly two weeks ago now. A very grand one. It was the coming-of-age festival for the daimyo of Arender-ken, Lady Eiko."

Satoru blinked at that, and let out a small tinkling sound.

"I'm with you, friend." Takeshi added.

Nakamura paused a moment, and then quirked his eyebrows. "…I'm sorry, what?"

Nobuyuki tapped the side of his head. "You need a yokai's ears to make out what Satoru says. He said 'I was not aware that there was such thing as a female daimyo'."

"For the moment, there is in this region." Nakamura continued. "The family line of Eiko and Akiko, the Amugawa, have been friends with that of the shogun's house for four generations now. However, during the last war, all but one son died. He eventually married and had children: two daughters, but no sons. While on a voyage to attend a wedding function within a fiefdom to the south, a tsunami arose and sent their ship to the bottom of the sea. No survivors. Hence, the Amugawa family has been left without a patriarch."

"Normally the emperor would have encouraged one of the local nobles of repute and strong character to marry the eldest daughter and take over management of the household." Itachitoko continued. "Yet the shogun realized that doing so would likely mean the end of the Amugawa family line and so, in a breach of tradition and propriety, he encouraged the emperor to allow the eldest daughter to have full control over the landholding from a legal standpoint." He grimaced. "This is one of the most prosperous regions under the shogunate…so naturally many thought it was a tad foolish to place a woman in charge of all of it…so the compromise was to allow the eldest to become the full landowner only on reaching her eighteenth year. Prior to that the region was under unofficial 'supervision' of the emperor. However…not putting much thought or concern into the matter…it ended up consisting of only a few visits each year to make sure all was well." His eyes narrowed. "The shogun now realizes that was a mistake…"

"Oh?" Nobuyuki answered. "How is that?"

"The eldest child, Eiko, has been a recluse for years, even to her own family." Nakamura went on. "She rarely talked to anyone other than her parents, the household staff has told me. And after their death she hardly said anything to her younger sister for three years. Her becoming the full landowner at the age of eighteen was almost like a noble returning from exile…so rarely had she been seen…"

"She at least _appeared_ to be a good choice." Itachitoko continued. "Proper, quiet, reserved…not nearly as out of control or rambunctious as her younger sister. Polite and deferring in all manners to those with age, experience, and higher status. It seemed that in spite of the mystery surrounding her that she would handle the land of Arender-ken well until she married and was able to give birth to a male heir to continue her family line…"

He trailed off here. Everyone's faces turned grim. It seemed they had finally gotten to the "crux" of the matter, Jiro realized. When they were quiet for a bit, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"So…what happened?"

"…The festival had been going for only two hours when Lord Taguchi and his retinue began to approach Arender-ken from the south gate." Hachiro interjected. He bowed his head again, wringing his hands a bit. "Akiko and I had met that evening and…we 'hit it off', you might say. I've never seen a girl as lovely, energetic, and amiable as Lady Akiko before in my life. She was what I envision perfection must be. As rash as it was, I went with her to Lady Eiko with the intention of asking that she consent to our marriage. It may have been a bit sudden, but I know without a doubt that there is no other noble in all the land of Japan who could compare to her." He swallowed here, frowning a bit. "But Lady Eiko was vexed grievously by what we asked. She told Akiko that she was being foolish and reckless for even considering wanting to be married to a noble she had known only for a single day…an argument began…and…and…" He trailed off.

"And Lady Eiko's personality change was almost instantaneous." Nakamura interjected. "Everyone could see it…the shift in her demeanor, the increase in the volume of her voice, the growing aggression…"

"All quite baseless." Itachitoko spoke up. "She could not ask for a finer man, a more valiant warrior, a more compassionate heart, and a wiser ruler beyond-his-years than Lord Hachiro. It was clear immediately to me the real reason she was so incensed at the idea. It became clear the moment one began to understand that the legends regarding her birth were true."

"Legends?" Jiro asked, echoing the confusion of all present.

"Between her light hair and pale skin, to say nothing of her features, none of which match either of her parents, it was no secret that many people questioned the validity of her birth." Nakamura explained. "There was the rumor abounding that she came from a different union…" His voice dropped, and the demeanor of the three men grew grimmer and uneasier yet. "…A union between the king and a yuki-onna that seduced him one winter and, nine months later, dumped a horrid half-monster child at his wife's feet as if it was hers to raise. After all, no one saw his wife during the pregnancy. No one could see her getting 'bigger'. The news of her birth was almost a surprise to the kingdom. The Lord Amugawa concealed it so he would not face the shame at having been unfaithful to his wife, even if it was with a seductive demon…"

"A yuki-onna?" Takara answered. "What could have made that connection?"

"Rumors." Nakamura continued. "Rumors from old servants of windows lined with frost in the middle of summer. Of children playing in the middle of night, leaving the floor wet and looking raw from cold air the next day. Snow falling in the inner courtyard. Cold…winter itself…somehow being in the domain of Eiko."

Things began to click for Jiro. He was getting an idea of how this story was going to "end". Yet in spite of that…he found himself actually suppressing a high level of pleasant interest. He had never heard of someone else who could manipulate cold and frost before besides him. And when he heard of this young daimyo being able to do it, he not only was intrigued…he felt like something inside him was stirring…

"The long and short…Lady Eiko stormed out of the room after an argument with her sister." Itachitoko went on. "And soon after doing so…a hailstorm of icicles the size of swords came forth from the highest window of the castle. Hundreds saw it, and saw them come down upon Lord Taguchi's regimen. It might have been her just letting loose her wrath at last or perhaps venting anger at seeing her wicked designs for the throne after 18 years coming to a close, now that her sister's new husband would have a dominant claim over her to the throne…but soon Taguchi and his men were slashed into pieces, left impaled as frozen corpses on shards of ice.

"In no time at all, the watchmen passed the message back to the castle of what had been seen. When the lady was confronted, she made no secret of her power at all. She began to attack wantonly and with desire to slay every last noble in the castle…"

"That's more than a bit of an exaggeration, if you don't mind me saying so, Lord Itachitoko." Hachiro interjected. "I was there myself. Lady Eiko looked frightened…confused…"

"Mere demon seduction." The onmyoji snorted. "I saw her myself. Behind her innocent face her eyes were filled with malevolence, bloodlust, and glee at watching us all suffer as she generated palisades of ice, froze the floor, and wrapped the entire castle in deep cold. She was like a horrible ice demon made flesh…the way she terrorized the gathering...lashed out at every man, woman, and child...delighted in making grown men huddle like helpless babies against her cold as she vented the full wrath of winter against us…in the middle of summer, no less!"

Hachiro began to frown. "Sir, I really must protest that rendition. There were very few injuries and the lady seemed like she just wanted to get away from everyone-"

"Lord Hachiro, _I _am the shogun's most trusted onmyoji for a reason…I can see demonology and evil far better than most." The old man nearly snapped, his voice sounding cross now. "And if I say Lady Eiko would have made every last one of us suffer until our last breath as she froze our hearts from the inside out, then you can accept that as truth and be done with it."

Nakamura nearly rolled his eyes, an encouraging sight to Jiro, as he took it from there. "…The bottom line is that the new queen has proven to be an entity of unspeakable power. I've never seen or heard of anything like her before outside of the oldest myths. She wields ice, snow, and cold as if it's a part of her. I sent my men after her when she fled…many of them my best soldiers. They tailed her to the mountains north of here." He frowned. "…Four of them were impaled through various places on thick spears of ice and are fortunate to be alive, although they'll be bedridden for weeks yet. Others have lost patches of skin to severe frostbite. Whoever was left eventually was stricken by a severe blizzard with wind and cold, they say, that cut down to the very marrow. The only reason they survived was a horrid monstrosity that seemed to arise from the snow itself attacked and flung them violently back the way they came, breaking bones but also clearing them from the storm. Enough were still conscious after that to drag those who had already passed out from the cold to warmer areas."

This wording caught the interest of the five. "What do you mean by 'warmer areas'?"

"Surely you've noticed how cold it is out right now." Nakamura answered. "How it's been getting colder the closer we got to Arender-ken? You see…the queen doesn't just manipulate ice and snow on a 'local' level. She's actually changing the weather...the seasons themselves. The night she escaped it just had a cool breeze. Now…as we speak, frost is forming on the tips of the grass around the castle. Within a few days…perhaps tomorrow night…fresh water left outside overnight will begin to ice over. At first it was just the northern lands and the castle…but now it spreads south. The entire province is impacted now, and now the surrounding ones are beginning to feel what it was like a week ago. Yet none of this is as compared to the north. If you travel but fifteen miles north of here, everything is covered with a thin blanket of snow. Continue north and as the temperature drops the snow grows thicker than any have ever seen it. The sky is blotted out and wind and blizzards break forth. The trees are coated with ice and all water is trapped in a moment of 'cascading'. Yet it only grows colder and deadlier from there."

The lords hadn't very well noticed something at this point, but the others did. Jiro's face was looking progressively less "merry" and more stunned. He seemed to be focusing harder and harder on these words as the men continued to describe the queen. In the end, he had more than fascination about this. He seemed to almost be intently fixated upon it…

"You see…the demon isn't just attacking those in her way to power anymore." Itachitoko went on. "Now she's cursed this entire land to slowly turn into winter…an endless one, no doubt. One where her power would be without limit. And it's spreading from here. It will only be a matter of months before the kingdom is covered in snow and the sun is blotted out forever. And if it only gets colder and worse from there, within a year we'll be dying off like flies. It might be even worse than this. What's to say this devil witch can't do the same to the entire world?"

The five gave pause on hearing this. Truth be told…they _had_ noticed it getting rather unseasonably cool over the past few weeks. And it had definitely gotten unnaturally cold for summer as they went north. Jiro himself had to admit that the weather felt "off". If what they said was true, then they realized that this was indeed a very serious matter. And, quite frankly, it was shocking to them.

"Well, you've certainly established why you're more concerned with this queen than having us beheaded…" Takeshi spoke after a while, slower and more measured. "But how do we figure personally into it?"

"Quite simply." Itachitoko answered. "You're to find and kill the queen as soon as possible."

Almost immediately, Nobuyuki broke out into a laugh. "Why, you make that sound so easy." He chuckled, patting his chest. "We are yokai, good onmyoji. Not gods."

"I can see you have some 'wisdom' if you thought of asking us rather than mere 'mortals'…" Takara added. "And this seems serious enough to be everyone's problem, including ours. But what exactly do you think we can do about it? I'm just as nervous about going up against someone who can make ice weapons on a whim or freeze me to death with a snap of her fingers as the next human."

"You still have a much better chance than any of my men." Nakamura answered.

"How flattering." Takeshi snorted. "Trying to say you're all either too scared or too weak so you'll hire someone else to do it for you that you don't care whether or not they get whacked over?"

"No, actually." Itachitoko answered. "It would be no use to us to have you killed doing this if doing so meant the world would be frozen in the process. I selected you five specifically and told Lord Nakamura to summon you for one reason."

Jiro soon found Itachitoko looking directly at him and pointing.

"Him."

The white-haired man pulled back a bit and blinked. The other four looked to him, and then out to the onmyoji again.

"Jiro?"

"Oh, don't give me those puzzled expressions." Itachitoko responded. "Don't think me so blind as to know _nothing_ about you."

"Yokai may be few and far between…" Nakamura answered. "Enough to where most think them legends. But that young man among you is a legend-amongst-legends. No yokai, onmyoji, or any other practitioner of magic ever heard of save for Lady Eiko herself wields the manner of power that this young man does. In fact, the story is that he's not a yokai like the rest of you at all. More of just a 'mutually-interested party'."

Jiro grimaced a bit on hearing that, his smile abating. Instead, he actually looked a bit unnerved. However, Hachiro was the one who broke the silence next, his voice more imploring.

"No one can get close to Eiko because of her power over cold. But I heard the myth that Jiro here is completely immune to cold. There was a story from a province east of mine that three children got lost in a storm last winter. They said that a single thinly-clad, white-haired young man went into the thick of it to look for them. In spite of staying out all night, he brought them back. They were practically blue and had to be revived…but even though the young man's skin was as cold as ice and white as snow, he never shivered or cringed once." He paused. "…That was you, wasn't it?"

The five were silent. After a moment, Jiro managed a half a smile and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…"

Takara sighed. "…Jiro, I told you to put on at least a reed cape before going out and doing that. It would make it 'less obvious'…"

"But that means that the queen can't hurt you." Hachiro answered. "That means you're the only one who can get close to her and talk her out of this…"

"No need for 'talking', Lord Hachiro." Itachitoko spoke up. "Simply get close enough to give her a good, solid blow to the back of the head. That should be ample."

The young lord grimaced again. "Lord Itachitoko, Lady Akiko would be devastated if we didn't at least _try_ to talk her into surrendering…"

"Talk?!" The onmyoji responded. "The daimyo struck the first blow, Hachiro! She wants us all dead! She's murdered several people already in cold blood and she nearly murdered two score more escaping justice! She's a killer and there's only one sentence the shogun decrees for killers!"

"Even if, by some mysterious unhappy chance, this was some sort of 'misunderstanding', which I honestly doubt," Nakamura added. "The fact remains that the queen neither acted innocently nor is coming quietly to explain things. And the whole country may suffer the ultimate price for it. 'Negotiating surrender' may be a luxury we can ill afford."

"Lady Akiko has sworn on the graves of her ancestors that Eiko is somehow innocent." Hachiro added. "That this was all a terrible yet accidental tragedy. She'd never forgive-"

"Lady Akiko is merely a noble's daughter, not a daimyo or a ruler…and she is thinking like a selfish child, not as someone who must look to the lives and welfare of countless thousands." Itachitoko cut off.

"…I may not put it in that 'wording', but the onmyoji speaks the truth, sir." Nakamura sighed. "Akiko would naturally defend the woman she sees as her sister regardless of her misdeeds, but if Eiko is indeed guilty then I am afraid it does not matter. The sentence of the shogun is absolute."

Jiro paused for a moment to think of all of this. Well…it seemed as if he was suddenly very "important". He wasn't sure exactly how to feel about that. On one hand, he was a bit excited. To actually be "essential" to this little "mission" of the Jido no Hogosha. He had felt like an outsider for some time now…but this would definitely make him feel that he was needed and therefore "belonged". Plus…he honestly grinned a bit at the thought of needing to be the one who "saved the day" this time instead of having someone curse him for his power and appearance or, worse yet, flee or shrink back in terror.

Yet at the same time, a part of him was very, very regretful. In spite of what he had heard, he had a hard time focusing on the queen's misdeeds and the threat she represented. He merely focused on the fact that she had power over ice and snow…just like him. For the past year he had been wondering continuously if his sort of power was unique…if he was some sort of entity that just "embodied" it or if it meant something greater…or that he was part of something more. Now, at last, it seemed he had found a clue to the truth behind him and his power…only to find that he needed to destroy it.

The regret was nearly enough for him to wish to say "no" to all of this…especially since, for the first time in a long while, he was "feeling" something about the situation and not just going through motions…

But…the fact remained that this woman was dangerous. And even if he could deal just fine with an "eternal winter wonderland"…no one else could. The thought of a world always covered with snow honestly intrigued him…but not at the cost of what it would do to people. Not to his friends…not to the kids he had saved…

"Well…I'm game." He finally said with a shrug.

"So that means _I'm_ in to keep this runt out of trouble." Takeshi added, turning to give him a look. "Don't forget she's got more than 'ice' on her side. If she can make projectiles and have them be lethal at long range, even you can't just waltz right up to her."

"We're _all_ in, of course." Nobuyuki chuckled. "Get one of us, you deal with all of us."

Takara wrung her hands a bit. "I kind of which I had switched to my winter clothes…but I'm definitely in."

Satoru gave a jingle.

"What did he say?" Hachiro asked.

"Basically 'yes'." Jiro answered with a smile. "Although it sounded a bit more like 'f*** yeah'. He's got quite the mouth on him when he wants, you know."

Itachitoko grimaced at the vulgarity, but gave a nod. "Very well then. I'm glad we could come to an agreement."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" Jiro said with a smile. "I merely said I'm 'game'…not 'in'. What exactly do we get in return for this, just so we're all clear? How do you make it worth our while?"

The onmyoji paused here. After a moment, he grew a bit uncertain before looking to Nakamura. Apparently, that was his "realm". As for him, he coughed a bit, and folded his hands behind him.

"…You certainly will have rendered a great service to the country." He answered. "The shogun will be grateful."

"Ah, but _how_ grateful?" Jiro asked, flashing his teeth.

He grimaced again and sighed. "…I have the authorization to pardon you for all of your crimes against the shogunate. You will all have clean records."

Nobuyuki gave a laugh. "Well, I should certainly hope for that at the least! But is that supposed to be a 'reward'?"

Nakamura blinked a bit on hearing that, almost a little perturbed. Itachitoko and Hachiro looked much the same, but the five merely all began to smile and looked to them. After a moment, the daimyo frowned and exhaled.

"…What is you want? Gold? Lands?"

"Oh, use your head, dear boy." Takara teased with a giggle. "What would yokai do with those kind of material goods?"

"Something more in tune with our 'nature', friend." Takeshi answered. "We all love our freedom more than anything, so what do you say we 'ensure' it?"

"From now on, next time we decide to give a local lord and his men a good swift kick in the arse for overstepping their bounds…" Jiro concluded. He held his staff out and made a cutting notion. "You, the shogun, and every one of all the king's horses and all the king's men just…looks the other way."

Nakamura's jaw nearly dropped. "Wh…what?!"

"The audacity!" Itachitoko bellowed. "The outrage!"

"That's out of the question!" The first lord continued. "You want us to just condone your lawlessness? Go about spreading discord and unrest among everyone you go to?"

"You won't hear one peep from us…provided you and the shogun start 'cracking down' on the corruption in your kingdom." Jiro simply responded.

"Contrary to what you think, the only time we intervene is when daimyo act dishonorably and unjustly toward their citizens." Takara spoke up. "If you don't extort or menace people just trying to get by, then you'll never have to deal with us again."

"And you're going to say _you_ are the standards of justice and right? Rather than our emperor? The code of bushido?" Nakamura answered.

"No…we're just making sure the code you all claim to follow gets enforced." Takeshi answered. "And now that we've got the all-clear from the shogun, we'll even right some wrongs in his name. How's that sound?"

Nakamura's eyes seemed to nearly come out of his head. "No! Impossible! Even if I could make that sort of decision in good faith, I wouldn't do it! I'd violate every standard and code I live by!"

Nobuyuki gave a shrug. "Well, it _is_ your decision, my good lord. We only agreed to come this far, after all. Perhaps _you_ would like to be the leader of the next party that goes out to slay the queen, yes?"

"I'd wear some sort of hat over a scarf." Jiro answered as he put his bo down and casually leaned on it. "You lose most of your heat through your head, after all."

The lord hesitated on hearing that. He looked over the five, but they calmly and casually looked back. Some looked ready to "pack it up" right there and start heading out. He clenched his jaw, but finally exhaled.

"…Very well. I'll see what I can do."

"And since you are, indeed, a 'man of honor', we'll hold you to that." Nobuyuki answered.

The lord frowned in response, quivering in a bit of anger, but in the end put it down. Taking a deep breath, he eased up a bit, and finally focused on the five again.

"Now…is there anything you need provided to you before you can begin?"

"Just one thing." Jiro answered.

Nobuyuki patted his belly. "Can't save the kingdom on an empty stomach, eh?"

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

*The Jido no Hogu-sha purposely mispronounce Itachitoko's name as Itachinootoko, because that translates into "weasel man".

I'm also not sure what I should make Eiko's title be. Early on I referred to her as "daimyo", but from here on in I may refer to her as "queen" with the understanding that those who call her that are using the connotation of "hime".


	3. Lady Akiko of Arender-ken

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Since the last chapter was so short and I had more ready...I figured I'd put this out too. Don't expect many more weekends with two chapters, though.

* * *

"Ah…I have died and gone to heaven!"

"I'm taking about eight of these casks with me when we go…"

"Oh…this pork is fantastic… What in the world do they feed the animals here to get it so juicy?"

The servants of Arender-ken castle were somewhat dumbfounded at the moment, keeping their distance and not sure what to do about what had just happened. The five supernatural creatures known as the Jido no Hogu-sha had just broken into the kitchen area and were proceeding to raid it. Nothing was safe from them as the "Band of Five Demons" helped themselves. And it turned out the five each had ravenous appetites. One could sort of expect it from someone like Nobuyuki, but the others seemed to inhale food just as easily due to their yokai nature. Even Takara, who prided herself on being a vegetarian and a "delicate" cook, was boiling up about a dozen large daikon at the moment for herself over the cooking fires. Takeshi had helped himself to a vat of ramen along with four large bowls of rice, washing it down with the rice liquor of the house. Jiro was polishing off all of the prepared sashimi and sushi, as well as whatever other fish was available. Nobuyuki had already eaten all of the uiro in the pantry, and, not satisfied with that, was moving on to namagashi, not really seeming to care to wait for tea ceremonies. Even Satoru, who had taken a side trip to pick up a collection of scrolls from somewhere inside the castle and sat down to read as he ate…had an entire half of a boar to himself.

As Takara stirred her "cauldron" full of vegetables, she turned to the others with a hesitant look. "…You sure we're not 'overstepping our bounds'?"

"Not at all." Jiro answered as he popped up a bit of rice and caught it in his mouth. "He asked us if there was anything we needed…we needed food and a good night's sleep. Or are you thinking we should insult our gracious host by not accepting their generous offer?"

The Tooth Dragon shrugged as she went back to her pot and added some seasoning. "I think we're just kind of 'taking advantage' of them…"

"They exploit us…we exploit them." Takeshi answered as he finished draining one of his bowls of broth and chased it down with liquor. "I haven't ruled out them backstabbing us when all is said and done, but until they get the chance I intend to get all I can out of them."

Jiro snickered as he kicked off the ground and "glided" into one of the chairs in the kitchen, landing and leaning back in it with his staff over and behind his head. "Aren't you the one who always lectures me about 'doing this for the code of honor' and 'the way of bushido'?"

"I also believe in karma, kenshusei." The rabbit-hooded man answered. "Besides…that applies to the innocent and the honorable. The shogun is neither."

"This is not exactly the shogun's things we are dealing with, however." Nobuyuki answered as he helped himself to another tea bun. "Mmm…for one thing, his own buns don't have bean paste this sweet… This would be the queen of Arender-ken."

"All the more reason." Takeshi answered as he began to eat another bowl of rice. "Don't know if you've all noticed yet, friend…but seems like our pals Nakamura and Itachinootoko are already moving right in. Calling the shots…putting the castle and whatever resources it has at our disposal…"

Nobuyuki let out a chuckle as he took up a plate of the buns and began to walk over to the others. "Yes…that is quite true. They made with all of the pomp and circumstance of how important it was to actually install the older sister as the daimyo…and yet, now that she is gone, there is hardly any mention of the younger one. They simply rule this castle as if it is already theirs to govern. Princess Akiko, it seems, is not even married yet to Lord Hachiro, and yet already he is the one making the grand decisions."

"And leaving her 'out of the loop' as well." Jiro chimed in as he tossed another sushi ball into his mouth. "I'm going to be totally honest here… I'm not exactly one hundred percent 'good' with how we're setting out on this. They pretty much hinted at us that they want it kept a secret from her as well. Should be easy enough since we're going to leave before dawn, but still…"

"You should focus more on how we're supposed to actually carry this out." Takeshi answered as he opened his third cask…although it seemed the liquor still hadn't impacted him yet. "Because while these fringe benefits are well and good, and it would be even better if the impossible happened and the shogun _did_ keep his word…there's still the fact we have to somehow stop an ice demon."

Takara grimaced on hearing that. "…That's a pretty good question. I mean, all of these benefits are nice, and normally we could handle whatever she put out, but…" She flitted her wings a bit. "I never could fly that well in winter. I burn too much heat."

"And Satoru might end up caught in a snowdrift if he's not careful." Takeshi added with a gesture. "Not to mention I'm no 'arctic hare' myself…"

"Bah…just leave it to Jiro and I." Nobuyuki said with a chuckle. "What others call blizzards I call 'refreshing', after all. And good as this yuki-onna might be, she is nothing compared to Jiro's talent."

The youth chuckled at that, but just the same hesitantly ate another bite of sushi. "Well…much as I like to be flattered…if that story was true we've got more to worry about than her just trying to make us die from overexposure. She seems a bit tougher than that with more tricks up her sleeve."

"Good point." Nobuyuki threw in. At that, he gestured nearby to the fifth member of their group. The others looked, and saw Satoru, in between bites of pork, was looking over a scroll.

"Luckily, I think Satoru's got the right idea, even though I'm normally more of the 'more-action, less-thinking' type, heh. Looking into our quarry a bit. And what better place than the castle she grew up in, yes?"

"Find anything yet?" Takara called out.

A tinkling sound came from the Sand Moth in response as he looked up from his meal/work, and took up one of the scrolls with him. He traced one of his odd fingers over it, and, in response, gold dust came off of his hand, went over the paper, and marked off sections. After doing so, he rolled it up and tossed it over to Takara. Leaving her pot behind, the woman flew over to intercept the toss and grabbed it. After that, she unrolled it as she returned to the stove, looking it over where Satoru had marked.

As for the man himself, Satoru looked rather intrigued by what he had found, if not a bit perplexed. It didn't take long for Takara to appear the same reading over the scroll.

"Hmm…that's odd… I mean…not terribly odd, but definitely unexpected…"

"What?" Jiro asked as he leaned his head back along with the chair. "Did she really like summer when she was younger or something?"

"Not that…" Takara answered. "This is a notary list of various decisions Lady Eiko made. Apparently even when she wasn't fully the daimyo, they allowed her some authority as the highest noble. One of the things she enacted was a 'progressive tribute'."

"'Progressive'?" Takeshi asked. "Progressive how?"

"Once every year, she set the tribute at a fixed level based on what she anticipated the expenses would be from her advisors." Takara continued. "She set that as the 'cut-off' point. Everyone was required to give her that much in tribute by the end of the year, but after that all remaining goods they produced were theirs for the remainder of the year."

"Really? And what did she do if they failed to make her cutoff?"

"That's the 'progressive' part. If they were under, she took a smaller portion. Progressively smaller and smaller as they made less and less. Essentially just enough to keep the citizens out of abject poverty." She shrugged. "Kind of interesting… It makes a 'cushion' but also motivates the people to produce as much as possible since they'll keep everything after a point…"

"And what if the year ended up being bad?" Takeshi snorted. "I suppose her little 'progressive tribute' goes out the window?"

Takara moved along the scroll a bit more, unrolling and letting it fall to the ground as she scanned down the paper. At last, she seemed to find one entry in particular.

"Actually…the country usually made far over their need for tribute to the shogun, good years or bad. There was only one bad year on record where they couldn't come up with the emperor's tribute based on the quota at the beginning of the year."

"What'd she do?" Nobuyuki asked.

Takara blinked a bit in surprise at what she read. "…She sold part of her hereditary property to make up the difference and left the quota where it was."

Satoru had already read this, but the others blinked in surprise. For someone who was supposed to be an ice demon, this was a bit unusual. However, maybe that was the whole point. A "real" landowner would never do such a thing…diminish their own estate when there were peasants to "bleed". Or perhaps it was an attempt to ease anyone being suspicious of her.

"There's more right here." Takara said as she pointed to the next down. "Apparently since this area is so productive, one of the surrounding areas tried to move in for an invasion to annex it. They had drummed up some charge of Arender-ken possibly selling to enemies of the shogun, and used it as a pretext to move in. This country has little in the way of a military, so once they occupied there'd be no way to tell them to 'leave' again. So what the lady did was immediately give all of her trading partners a 15 percent decrease in their incoming tax fees along with knowledge of what was happening."

Jiro's gaze went back to her on hearing this. He snickered a moment later. "How about that… She's pretty clever."

"Oh?" Nobuyuki asked.

"Don't you get it?" He answered. "She just made it 'profitable' for all of her trading partners to keep her around. She didn't have to draw a single sword among her own forces. She'd let the surrounding nations do it for her. They'd all come to her aid if things got bad. I'm guessing they backed down off their charges after that, huh?"

The Tooth Dragon gave a nod. "You guessed right…"

She looked to another entry, causing her to blink again.

"Whoa…that's something."

"What?" Jiro asked, leaning up a bit…getting more intrigued along with the rest of them.

"Her own personal fields were worked, by royal edict, by the poorer members of society. The law itself only was looking for those without means and at risk of becoming destitute. Yet what this ended up doing, in reality, was draw orphans, widows, and a great number of the kingdom's 'outcasts'. Basically people who were not only too poor but couldn't possibly support themselves enough to become 'unpoor' due to everyone in society frowning on them… As for her wages…those she brought in weren't given a quota. They were simply told after the royal court took their contribution, everything else that was left behind was free to their use, no matter how much of it there was." She gave a shrug as she began to move along. "Needless to say, her own lands are the most productive in the kingdom as a result…"

"Heh…seems like our 'ice queen' had a warm heart at one point." Nobuyuki commented.

"A bit more than that, possibly." Takeshi answered. "Sure, she was getting something out of this…but any ruler could have just thrown money or food at these people. By letting them actually have a position and 'earn' their food, she gave them some dignity and pride as well." He took another swig as he leaned back. "After hearing all this, it's almost a shame this queen went mad. Seems like she was one of the few landowners I wouldn't have spat in the face of…"

"I will admit…she seemed to be a bit 'forward with the thinking'." The Jolly Bear added, tossing another bun into his mouth, but then putting the plate down and crossing his arms. "It seems almost odd that she would turn this way…"

Takara rolled up the scroll and shrugged. "I hate to say it…but you think she might have had a 'good reason' for killing those people? …As bad as that sounds?"

"Doesn't change the fact she's freezing the country, her own people included." Takeshi reminded her. "People can change…or maybe she was just 'hiding' that she was really a monster this whole time…"

"She _isn't_ a monster!"

In a heartbeat, all five of the Jido no Hogu-sha had snapped around. Takeshi himself was immediately on his feet and nearly going for his weapons at the sound of the voice, but even Jiro had snapped out of his chair. After all, they thought they were alone aside from a few eavesdropping servants, and they appeared to have pulled back as the five had continued to stuff their faces and talk. Yet now, they found a few face.

Framed in the doorway to the kitchen area was a noblewoman…although "woman" might have been a strong descriptor as she still looked very young. She was dressed in a dark emerald green kimono that was the kind of silk only the rich would wear, and the adornments she wore with it were made of more expensive metals as well, all but confirming her wealth and rank. Her face was youthful and innocent, and she almost seemed to radiate a warm "glow" from her expression. At first, her blue eyes had been "fiery", glaring angrily at the five of them. Yet when they all snapped to her, some of them doing so in alarm at hearing her suddenly outburst, they immediately recoiled along with the rest of her body as she drew back.

"Er…um…that is…I have to respectfully disagree with that comment…?" She said in a much quieter voice, risking a weak smile with it. She paused. "…Please don't eat me. Technically I'm 18, but I'm a 'child at heart'."

However, the five rapidly broke. Most of them just exhaled and relaxed. Takeshi, on his part, let out a groan. Jiro himself placed a hand to the bridge of his nose on hearing yet another individual who thought they were carnivorous demons. Satoru began to pick himself back up after spilling his chair over.

After a while, the Ghost Hare spoke up. "Who are you and why are you in here?" He stated crossly.

"I'm L…" The young woman began to say, recovering a bit on her own, before pausing and thinking. "…Wait a second, this is _my_ castle. Why am I explaining myself to _you_?"

"The fact that you don't want us to 'eat you' may have something to do with it…" Jiro murmured.

"_Your_ castle?" Nobuyuki answered, before drawing himself up and smiling in response. "Heh…well then, you must be Lady Akiko." He said as he began to walk forward to her. As for the young woman, Akiko, she managed to rise again…but on seeing the large and imposing Nobuyuki approaching her and literally casting a shadow over her body, she visibly had to suppress the urge to swallow a bit. Yet on arrival, he immediately bowed.

"Honored to meet you. And my compliments to my host. Feels like the first time in forever I have had sweet bean paste buns so tasty."

Akiko blinked for a moment, but then straightened. "Oh…um…thank you, sir." Clearly taken aback by that sort of response.

She nearly jumped again a moment later when, to the sound of flitting through the air, Takara came from around the bulky Nobuyuki and came closer to her. "Say…that's a lovely kimono you're wearing, my lady." She said as she looked it over a moment, before flitting closer and soon hovering around her, admiring it. The result unnerved Akiko a bit, but she "rolled" with it. "I've never seen silk so fine… And I love that floral design! You must have all the men fawning over you… I wish _I_ could have something like that…" She paused near her face, and looked up and into it. Akiko soon got another surprise as she leaned in closer, literally trying to look at her mouth. "…And those teeth… You must clean regularly. They're so nicely formed…"

"Er…thanks?" Akiko answered, progressively leaning her head further and further away as she got closer. "…I'd like to keep them along with my soul, if that's alright."

Takara pulled back a bit at that, blinking in puzzlement. "Huh?"

"I heard that you're the one who pulls out the teeth of her enemies and then devours them to have control over their souls…"

The woman slumped to the ground for a landing and groaned. "Oh…_that_. Listen, that's just-"

"When we have an enemy." Takeshi cut off abruptly. "Never for an innocent. We may be yokai, but we have honor."

Takara looked to him on hearing that, but he silently kept his gaze on Akiko. After a moment, she broke. It was important to keep up appearances, after all. While the citizens could know the truth about them, the nobility had better keep thinking they were every bit as horrible and nightmarish as the stories went…at least in part. Although the feathered woman didn't seem to like it, she finally rolled her eyes and accepted it.

However, Jiro spoke up soon after, putting his staff over one shoulder again. "So…seems you know about us, huh?" He asked casually enough.

Straightening herself up again, Akiko gave a shrug. All in all, her demeanor seemed to be relaxing. "Well…not exactly. I mean…I managed to overhear the news a couple days ago, that the shogun had sent someone to fetch a gang of yokai ronin… I honestly didn't believe it. I thought those were just fairy tales…" She paused, then grimaced and shrugged. "…But I guess I should have had more faith after what happened with Eiko…"

This gave the five a moment of pause. If this was Lady Akiko, and she didn't yet know "why they were there", exactly…it made things a bit tense. After all, Lady Eiko was supposed to be her sister. The five realized they probably needed to choose their words carefully around her. After looking to one another for a moment, Jiro turned back to her with a smile.

"Well, see it and believe it." He answered, gesturing around him. "Here we are…the Jido no Hogu-sha in the flesh."

Akiko looked over the five of them for a moment in response. She turned her head after a moment. "So…are you five really yokai? I mean…" She looked to Takara. "Er…pretty sure most people can't fly and…" She looked to Satoru afterward. "You, um…well…er…uh…seem kind of odd…uh, no offense…"

Satoru gave a shrug.

"But you pretty much all look pretty…'normal'…"

"Heh…appearances can be deceiving." Nobuyuki answered as he drew himself up and pounded himself against the chest. "Yokai come in all shapes and sizes. Many can transform to walk like men or animal. But me? I like this best of all. Do not let it deceive you. I have more than a bear's strength in these bones."

Jiro, meanwhile, had smiled a bit, and had taken the opportunity to start wandering over toward Takeshi. "And if you think this guy here _really_ looks human…" He began to muse out loud as his staff began to raise, the crook going for his hood...

Abruptly, the Ghost Hare snapped around and slapped the end of the staff out of the way. "Don't you _dare_, or I'll stick you to the wall."

The youth gave an innocent shrug. "What…me? I'm just walking here. Stretching my legs after a meal…"

At this point, Akiko suddenly looked up a bit more. "Wait a minute…'the Jido no Hogu-sha'? I remember you now! Eiko used to tell my stories about you when we were younger!"

The five paused on hearing this, once more focusing their attention on the lady. "Really?" Nobuyuki asked after a moment. "What did she tell you?"

"Well…nothing like what I heard people talking about in the castle today…" She answered. "She said you five were…nice. That you looked out for children, especially those who didn't have parents to look out for them."

On hearing this, the five softened a bit. Even Takeshi lost a bit of his gruff exterior. Takara actually smiled a little.

"I heard you did things like helped children who were scared and alone have pleasant dreams, or kept their memories from when they were innocent, or that you would bring them gifts or leave them surprises to teach them to hope for good things…" Akiko went on. She paused and looked them over a moment. "…Is that true?"

The five looked to each other for a moment. They seemed to hesitate, not sure about what they should do or answer.

"Well…"

"Er…"

"Sort…"

"Uh…"

They continued to stammer and debate it for a moment, before Jiro finally exhaled.

"Guys…I think we can be a bit honest with her. She doesn't exactly seem like the 'type' to be leaking all of our secrets back to the shogun."

The other four looked to Jiro at that. Takeshi was still hesitant, and even Nobuyuki was, but Jiro turned back to her. "I'm not sure how you got _that_ story…but…yeah, it's pretty much true for the most part. We really do go around the country beating up daimyos and their men and ruining their stuff…but only those who are corrupt. Only those who are being cruel to their own people. And we don't 'spare children' simply because of some mystic code or bar…it's because we all want to protect children."

Takara held a bit longer herself, but seeing as Jiro had already spilled the beans, she sighed and joined in. "We _do_ act like what you said sometimes. Nobuyuki loves making toys and clothes for children…and he's really good at it in spite of how big his hands are. And Takeshi likes leaving little eggs that have money or treats inside for children to find. But…we can't very well show adults all of that."

Nobuyuki patted his chest again. "They see us as big, strong, terrible monsters. And they need to. Because if they see us as monsters…they're afraid of us. If they're afraid of us…they won't hurt their people because they know we'll be back. That's how we protect the villages and their children."

"Just don't go thinking we're _too_ innocent." Takeshi spoke up. "In our hearts, we're ronin. Just like any other samurai, we abide by bushido. If someone oppresses the weak or acts unjustly, we believe we're fully in our right to kill them. And we _have_ killed in the past."

Akiko took all of this in for a moment, looking them over. She seemed far more at ease at this point. She appeared to have readily taken Jiro's explanation that they weren't as terrible as they seemed. Yet after a moment, she exhaled a bit.

"…And I'm guessing that's the reason you're here, isn't it? To kill someone?"

The five didn't answer. They didn't react to this either.

Akiko waited for a moment, but then exhaled, seeming to have gotten the answer.

"That's what I thought. You want to know why I'm here? That's simple. I want you to leave my sister alone." She exhaled. "I may have spent a lot of my life in this castle, but I've been hearing what everyone's been saying. I heard what happened to those people sent by Nakamura when they came back. I know that's why you're here, and I'm telling you not to. My sister _isn't_ a monster. This is all just one big misunderstanding."

"I'm afraid it's a little more than that, my lady." Takeshi answered with a cynical voice. "Men are already dead. And in case you haven't realized…it's getting mighty cool outside."

Akiko grimaced a bit on hearing that, the words seeming to make her uncomfortable. But after a moment, she shook her head. "Listen…I know this all looks really, really bad right now… But like I said, this is all a terrible mix-up. Believe me…Eiko's not a killer."

"Then why did she kill those men and why is she freezing everything?" Jiro simply answered. "Why did she go so long without using that power and just decide to sentence everything to death one day?"

Again, the young lady seemed at a loss. "I…I really don't know. I didn't even know she had that power…"

Jiro smiled and let out a snicker. "Really. Your sister looks like an ice goddess, you live with her in the same castle all your life, and you didn't know… I may not have any siblings but sounds like you're not the best sister in the world…"

Akiko frowned a bit. "It's not like that!" She shot back, before her tone softened and her face turned anxious. "Eiko…she…well…she always hid herself. I remember when we were little kids that we'd do everything together… We were best friends… Then…weird things started happening. Our room would be ice cold in the morning in the middle of summer… Our water pitcher would fill with ice… We'd be walking through the garden and snow flurries would start falling. Mom and dad brought in all sorts of doctors and magicians, and they all swarmed around Eiko. I was too young to recognize what was happening, but… Suddenly it stopped, but Eiko stayed away from me as much as she could. We'd still talk, but…she wouldn't want to play or get physical. She always looked like she was afraid whenever we wanted to do something. And she just got more and more aloof and apart from time, locking herself in her chambers, only issuing letters and couriers with her decrees, not making public appearances…and, whenever she did, she'd always wear these long-sleeves kimonos so she'd cover up her hands… I never knew what any of it was supposed to mean…" She paused, and exhaled. "…Not before I asked for her consent to marry Lord Hachiro."

"Oh?" Nobuyuki answered. "We heard of that. What exactly happened?"

Akiko exhaled as she stepped into the room a bit more, going for the nearest chair and moving to sit down in it. The others likewise sat on tables or leaned against walls in response. "I met him when Eiko officially became queen and the 'proper' daimyo of Arender-ken." She smiled a bit, seeming to think of him. "He's everything I've always dreamed of… He's smart and sensitive…he listens to everything I have to say…he's affectionate and kind…and…" She blushed a bit. "…He's so _dreamy_ compared to the rest of the nobles I've seen…" She sighed. "All of the rest of the daimyo present thought we'd be a perfect match. But not Eiko. When I went up to her and asked for her consent…" She frowned a bit. "…She immediately said no. She took me aside and told me all sorts of things…about how…" She exhaled and then began to 'mimic' her sister's voice in exaggerated tones nad manners. "'Our kingdom spent hundreds of years forcing the girls into arranged marriages…and now that you have the chance to be courted you immediately cling to the first man you meet after knowing him only a day… I thought mom and dad told you better than-'"

"Wait…wait a second…" Jiro suddenly spoke up, holding up his hands. "Back up. Did you just say you knew him only for one day?"

"Yes. Now as I was saying… I got in an argument…I told her that I couldn't stand being as isolated and alone as her anymore…always pushing people away… She told me that she wanted me to not 'charge into marriage and end up regretting it like you charge into everything else in your life any end up regretting it'…"

"You only knew him…for _one_ day." Jiro spoke again.

Akiko sighed. "Yes…pay attention. I called her something I shouldn't have…and she stormed off into the next room. Before I know it, there's screaming and Eiko comes running out-"

"You were going to marry a man…you had only known…for _one day._" The youth interjected yet again.

The lady frowned. "Don't tell me _you're_ going to start lecturing me too."

"Well, _someone_ has to since your sister isn't around." Jiro retorted.

Akiko groaned. "Ladies get into arranged marriages all the time! I at least got to meet him first!"

"That may be true, but many ladies only marry for political purposes," Takeshi answered. "And many regret their husbands too."

"You are quite fortunate to have the right to take your time to choose, young lady." Nobuyuki added. "I would not be quick to give up that right."

The young woman merely frowned and rolled her eyes. "Look…the point is, my sister isn't a monster. So please…I'm asking you not to go after her. She doesn't deserve to be hunted like she's a common criminal."

"Again, I hate to argue with the lady of the castle, but your sister _is_ a common criminal whether you like it or not." Takeshi answered. "She committed murder and then she ran rather than tried to explain her crime. Can't get much more cut and dry than that."

"Of course it can!" Akiko protested. "You weren't there! You didn't see that power! Eiko…" She paused, her own look softening as she remembered. "She…she looked so scared… Like she was terrified of everyone… And she had to be. The reason she always hid this was because of exactly what's happening right now. Everyone's calling her a demon and a monster…saying such terrible things…accusing my father of having an affair with a yuki-onna…" She looked back up to the five, imploringly.

"But she's not like that at all! Please…you have to believe me! I know she's done some bad things, but I swear they were accidents! They had to have been! Eiko wouldn't hurt a fly willingly, let alone another human being!"

The five hesitated yet again. Akiko looked insistent, and the sound of her pleas as well as her distinct, tangible belief in what she was saying gave them pause. She honestly did believe what she was saying with all of her heart, and if she wasn't lying or "confused", then this changed a lot. Yet in the end, Takeshi sighed.

"My lady…even if what you're saying is true, the land is getting colder and colder fast. This 'accident' of your sister is going to end up hurting a lot of people. It might end up _killing_ a lot of people…you included. What exactly do you want us to do? Sit in front of a window and watch the snow fall?"

"Of course not." Akiko answered, drawing herself up. "Just stay here while I go instead."

The five stared blankly at that.

"…And then?" Takeshi asked.

Akiko blinked. "…Then what?"

"What do you do if…er…when you find her?" Nobuyuki answered.

"Oh." The lady answered, before smiling. "I'll talk to her and get her to stop freezing everything."

The five stared almost dumbfounded. Even Satoru had an eyebrow raised and his jaw a bit loose.

"…My, you're quite the optimist." Jiro said after a moment. "Takeshi…I apologize for always poking fun at your negativity. I think this is _much_ worse."

"You _do _know what happened to the last people who went after your sister, yes?" The Jolly Bear asked.

Akiko gave an innocent shrug. "I'm her sister. I don't have to be afraid of her. She wouldn't hurt me."

Takara swallowed a bit. "Um…my lady? Exactly how far have you ever been out of the castle?"

"Once, when I was younger," She beamed with pride. "I almost walked to the first farm outside the city all by myself!"

Now the Jido no Hogu-sha looked _very_ uncomfortable.

"…How about in winter?" The Laughing Frost asked after a time.

She paused. "Ok…I'm not really _too_ 'winter crazy'…but I can take it no problem! I mean…once I went for a walk outside in the winter for almost two hours. Sure…it wasn't snowing, but it was cold…so that counts, right?"

The youth answered by facepalming.

"Uh…my lady," Nobuyuki spoke up. "It'd be best if you stayed here. The wild isn't a place for a young lady like you."

Akiko's smile turned into a frown. "Who says it isn't? That's my sister out there!"

"Look, calm down." Jiro added, holding up a hand in a stopping gesture. "It's better that you leave this to us. We run around the great outdoors all the time."

"But what are you going to do when you find my sister?" The young lady answered. "Are you going to kill her like you were hired to?"

The five paused only for a moment, before Jiro spoke further. "…We're ronin…more or less. We go by the code of bushido."

Akiko frowned and crossed her arms. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He sighed. "It means I promise we'll try talking first, but that's all. And even if she surrenders, she's still coming back as our prisoner and a criminal of the shogunate." He shrugged. "Sorry, but that's what happens when you murder other daimyo and then run for it and resist arrest."

The noblewoman practically stamped her foot as her hands went into fists at her sides. "With Eiko gone, _I'm_ the ruler of Arender-ken, and I order you not to hurt my sister!"

Jiro merely snickered as he crossed his staff over his shoulders. "Yeah…and maybe if I was a citizen of Arender-ken, that would mean something…"

Takara gave Jiro a bit of a frown, but then flitted closer to Akiko with a more sympathetic look. "My lady, I'm really sorry…but this order came from the shogun and, for now, we're following his authority. And unless he orders us to do something 'unjust', then his word is the one that stands over yours."

"I give you our word," Nobuyuki spoke up solemnly. "If what you say is true, then we will not lay a finger upon Queen Eiko unless she makes the first move. By our honor as samurai. But she too has committed wrong, whether it be accidental or not, and she must answer for it as is proper. It is our duty to bring those who do wrong to justice."

"And all we are here is lawmen." Takeshi added. "If you really want to dispute the case with your sister, you need to go to Nakamura or even Itachinootoko. Not the 'recruited help'."

Akiko's face only turned to anxiety. She actually clasped her hands together. She went from ordering in an instant to pleading with the next as she looked to them desperately.

"Please…don't go after her! Just give me a chance first!"

"A chance for what?" Jiro answered. "To get lost, freeze to death or starve, and then bring down the wrath of this country and the shogunate on us for letting the only remaining member of the Arender-ken house kick the bucket?"

Takara sighed. "I'm really sorry, my lady. But I'm afraid what Nobuyuki said is all we can offer."

Akiko held and looked desperate for a few moments more. However, on seeing no change from anyone else, and not even looks of sympathy from Jiro and Takeshi, her desperation eventually turned to anger. Forming a pouting face and a upset look, she finally let out a noise of exasperation, got up from her chair so fast she knocked it over, and then turned and stormed out of the kitchen. In a few moments, the sound of her stomping echoes died down, and the five were left in silence.

The Tooth Dragon immediately gave Jiro a dark look. "You could have been _nicer_, you know."

"I'm nice to kids…not overgrown spoiled brats." The youth answered with a shrug. "You heard what she said. How she doesn't know a thing about the world outside her palace. She'd get herself in trouble out there, and then they'd be calling on us to bring back _two_ noblewomen. I'd rather her be angry at me than a load."

"For once, I'd say the kenshusei has a point." Takeshi answered as he began to stop up his bottle. "She seemed like a nice enough girl, but I don't have patience for fools. I wouldn't trust a woman from the village who made her living gleaning through the forest with this…let alone some noblewoman whose hands didn't look like they had ever seen a callus in their lives."

Satoru let out a jingle.

"He has a good point." Nobuyuki said as he gestured to him. "Clearly, the queen has no love for other nobles and their men. But perhaps she could be 'persuaded' more easily by her own sister?"

"Come on, big man." Takeshi answered as he began to slip the cask at his hip, clearly intending to keep it. "We got two different stories right now, but of the two we know which one is more likely to be 'rose-colored'. Even if Queen Eiko was an archdemon that girl would say anything to keep us from killing her. And what if we show up with her and she _doesn't_ 'come quietly'?"

The Jolly Bear sighed and bowed his head. "…Then she would only try to stop us in the middle of a battle against a dangerous opponent. And in the end, she would have to watch us slay her own sister."

"Exactly." Jiro chimed in. "I'm already kind of unhappy to begin with that we're having to do this… I honestly would like to ask this woman a thing or two."

The other four looked to him. Takara blinked as she flitted in the air again. "Oh…oh, that's right! Jiro…I almost forgot… If she's anything like you, then maybe…"

The youth cut her off with a smile. "Maybe…and I'm pretty sure even if it comes to killing her I'd like to ask her about that first… I'll be honest. Back in that room when I heard about her power, I was pretty excited. I actually thought like I might get some answers. I'm not eager to let that slip by…"

He paused, but then shrugged.

"But…at the same time…while I like a nice 'winter wonderland', I'd prefer if someone wasn't making it the 'eternal' type. After all…what good is having all the snow in the world if everyone you want to have a snowball fight with is a frozen corpse? Believe me…if she's as nasty as we heard and she doesn't have anything useful to say, I'll be the first to take her out."

"Same here." Takeshi answered as he rose and stretched. "Now it's probably a good idea we all collect the other 'half' of our 'advance pay' and hit the sack. We'll want an early start tomorrow."

Takara hesitated a bit, but then lit up on hearing that. "Oh yeah! I forgot about that too! We're actually going to get to spend the night in real beds! Nice ones with sheets and not made out of hay!" Her smile faded a moment later, though. "...Speaking of things I forgot, is that burning radish I smell?"

Nobuyuki chuckled as he turned, scooped up the plate of bean paste buns to take with him, and began to make his way out. "Bed _does_ sound good, yes? I just hope they're sturdier than the last ones I tried. They always seem to break in the first hour…"

* * *

The five got a fairly early start the next morning…after freshly raiding the kitchen once again, just as the castle servants finished cleaning it up from last night. Some of them, in spite of their fear, were almost ready to curse a blue streak after they were done eating, especially since they helped themselves to what was left for packing. In a similar vein, they helped themselves to whatever was in the castle for travel gear, as their current material was a bit "shabby". Even so, they didn't take too terribly much. Most of what they kept was on them already: clothing and weapons. Nakamura met them as they prepared to set out. Sure enough, there was not only frost covering everything, but the edges of the water around the castle was also tipped with ice, and many of the guards were huddled or beating their arms to stay warm. Nakamura, however, seemed oblivious to it as he looked to them.

"You have three days to return with the queen's head."

That caught them off guard. "This might take a bit longer than that. We may not even find her in-"

_"__Three days." _Nakamura coldly cut off. "Then the deal is over. We know what you are, after all…and Lord Itachitoko had advised to not put too much faith in you even if we must rely upon you. You might side with the yuki-onna, after all. Now go."

"Long life to you too, friend…" Takeshi snorted as they walked past him.

With the newly imposed deadline, which they had never agreed to, firmly in place and, furthermore, not one horse given to them for their disposal, the group didn't waste much time picking up the pace. As soon as they were out of the main gates, they took off at more of their "full speed". Takara, obviously, could fly and had the biggest edge. Jiro wasn't quite as fast but managed a steady clip. Takeshi could simply "jump holes" to quickly gain ground. That left the ground-bound Nobuyuki and Satoru…the latter of which was in the worst shape. Luckily, Nobuyuki could hoist him on his back and run rather fast due to his long stride. Jiro knew if he had time, he could use his natural "animal magnetism" and ability to craft to make himself a snow sledge and have stags pull it, and such a thing might be advantageous for where they were going. However, he didn't at the moment and kept to running. In spite of his steady clip, everyone else had to slow a bit to keep up with him, but they still made good time. In only an hour they had already left the territory limits for the "dwelling" areas of Arender-ken, and even the large castle had already vanished. They began to go into the wilds soon after as a forest grew around them.

It didn't take much longer from there to see effects get worse. Rather than get warmer as the sun came up, it grew colder this time as opposed to staying even. Soon, it was securely below freezing. Not much farther after that, the frost gave way to a dusting of powder…snow on the ground in the middle of summer. The trees had seemed to already respond, rapidly losing their leaves and becoming covered with fresh white flakes. Such couldn't be healthy for them, but it soon was more than enough to create the illusion of winter. If not for the position of the sun and the length of the day, it would have been easily mistaken for that season. It didn't help that yokai like them were especially in tune with nature. This was driving their "rhythms" wild. Them and every other creature, it seemed. The birds and other forest animals ran around in a state of near confusion, not sure what to make of the season changes.

However, it soon went from being "early" winter to a "worse" one. As they went further north, slowing down a bit to a more gradual pace, and the city vanished completely, letting the woods surround them and the trail they took collapse on them a bit, the snow grew thicker and thicker on the ground. Soon it was an inch…then two…then four…and, at the present, was a foot deep. Rare in this part of the country, but when the trees broke and the Jido no Hogu-sha were able to look far to the north…they saw ominous dark clouds awaited them, indicating it would get much colder and the snow much deeper when they made it that far.

Unfortunately, although they were only about 40 miles from Arender-ken and still had a good amount of daylight left, they were already feeling it.

Takara panted a bit as she fluttered along, by now, like the rest of them, having slowed to more of a "march" gait. "I don't think I can keep myself in the air for much longer unless we stop for a break…"

"Just flap your wings a little slower." Nobuyuki answered. "You've been flying too hard."

"I _have_ to." She protested. "It's too cold to not make myself warm doing this…"

"We _do_ have cloaks, you know." Jiro answered. "Not to mention thicker clothing."

"If I put that on, I won't be able to fly at all." Takara answered. "And then I'll _really_ be cold."

"Maybe just the same it wouldn't be such a bad idea to stop for a bit a little further on." Takeshi answered. "I think Satoru could use it."

The shortest member of the group only wanted to be "carried" for so long, desiring to pull his own weight. When the group had slowed enough, he had hopped off and trudged after them. Unfortunately, he had to move even faster to keep up with them with his short weight, and by now the foot of snow on the ground was very hard to move through given his stature. He frowned a bit at the comment Takeshi made, but at the same time had to admit he was red faced with footwear that was soaked, and could use a break.

"Bet your ears could use a thaw too, eh?" Jiro asked Takeshi with a bit of a smile. "By tomorrow, you'll probably be waking up with frost on them."

"Don't remind me." He answered. "But you're right on one count. I need to keep them in top shape. Don't want anyone sneaking up on us again like they did the other-"

At that, the Ghost Hare went silent. His face formed an unusually stern look.

Jiro, snickering a bit and not getting it immediately, turned his head to him. "Like wh-" However, on seeing his expression, he immediately stopped as well, his own face losing its smile. The others, seeing this too, quickly paused in their step and froze. Apparently, Takeshi had learned from his mistake the other day. Now he was on high alert. The ears on his hood twitched a bit, angling themselves around to slowly "sweep" about them. They had picked up a sound, and were now trying to find exactly where it was. The other four waited, but also looked about. They hadn't heard what Takeshi had heard, but they took his unspoken "word" for it now and looked about for anything out of the ordinary.

A few moments of seeming silence passed. However, it didn't last too long. Jiro began to hear a noise a short distance from them. Not too loud, but also not "typical" forest noises that the five were used to. It didn't take long for the others to look in the same distance and hear it as well. The confirmation beyond any doubt was when Takeshi fully orientated his head toward it.

Narrowing his eyes, he gave a nod in that direction.

A moment later, Jiro held up a hand. To the tune of a cold mist seeping into it, he formed a snowball in an instant. He palmed it a moment later, then yanked his hand back, took careful aim, and snapped forward like a crack of a whip, letting it fly like an arrow bolt.

The snowball vanished into the trees surrounding the group, but apparently Jiro's aim was good, for a moment later the sound of snow crashing against something rang out, followed by a loud "oof!" from a female voice before a louder crash.

Immediately, the five took off. Not too fast, however. After all…they recognized the sound of the voice… Jiro himself rolled his eyes as he ran along, and Takeshi let out a bit of a grumble. In just a few moments, they were working their way around the trees, and a bit later cleared enough to start seeing a figure getting up out of the snow and complaining a bit herself as she dusted her body off.

She had switched to more "winter" attire, wearing a cape, hat, and a thicker kimono of green, blue, and pinkish colors that was clearly made for winter even if it was more on the "dressy" side, but as the five rushed up on her and saw her newly-styled hair coming behind her head, her posture and frame, even before she turned to face them they knew who it was.

Akiko looked ready to give the five a piece of her mind when she whirled around to them. "What's the big…" She began to say…and promptly trailed off on seeing who it was. "Oh…hello there."

"Hi." Jiro answered with a wide smile as he came to a stop and balanced his staff over his shoulder again. "Looks like you 'broke your record' on a walk, your highness. Why not quit while you're ahead and head on back now?"

"My lady, what are you doing out here?" Nobuyuki asked as he halted as well.

"Well, I _was_ taking my horse…" She answered. "But after losing the trail two hours ago I tried to find it, and a bunch of snow fell off of this tree and spooked him…so he bucked me off and ran back for Arender-ken. After that, I got up and tried to go on foot, but I hadn't found it yet. And then _you_ beaned me with a snowball."

"Great shot, wasn't it?" Jiro grinned.

Takara blinked. "The trail is right over here…and you couldn't find it in _two_ hours? I'm not sure you're the 'outdoorsy' type…"

Takeshi ignored all of this. "Not _how_ did you get out here…_why_ are you out here?"

"I already told you." Akiko answered. "I'm going to find my sister and talk to her."

"We told you we didn't want you coming with us!" Takeshi shot back.

"Who said I'm going with _you_?" Akiko retorted, crossing her arms. "I'm out here by myself! This is a solitary mission!"

Nobuyuki let out a groan and held his palm over his face for a moment, before looking back to her again. "Lady Akiko…it is not only dangerous out here for a young woman, but it is dangerous for _you_ to be with _us_. If you are to suddenly leave the castle when we do, they will suspect we were behind it."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Akiko answered with a smile. "Hachiro is covering for me. He's the one who said I owed it to my sister to go after her. He would have come too, but he's going to make sure Nakamura and Itachitoko don't know I'm gone."

Nobuyuki removed his hand and exhaled, approaching a bit more. "Why not help him out by going back to the castle?" He asked, innocently enough. "Look…the wild is a dangerous place. You've already been lost for some time, and it will only get colder the further north we go…"

Akiko immediately frowned. "No way! I told you, I'm going after my sister, and that's final! And neither you or anyone else is going to stop me!" She held for a moment afterward, then blinked, and looked around from side to side. After a moment, her look turned sheepish. "Er…incidentally…which way did you say was the trail again?"

The Jolly Bear grimaced. He held up his hands in a beckoning motion. "All in. We need a moment for thinking."

At once, the five drew in close and formed a huddle. Akiko, in the meantime, began to look around a bit, making gestures with her hands as if trying to place the direction the Jido no Hogu-sha had come from. A moment later, she began to take off…in the wrong direction.

"What do we do now?" Nobuyuki asked.

"I'm tempted to just say 'leave her and keep going'. She's not our problem." Takeshi answered. "But if we bring back Eiko dead or alive only to have Akiko missing, and we find out she got lost and ended up dead, and _they_ find out we ran into her but left her to wander around until she froze…"

"Then we'll have to run her back." Takeshi stated.

"Nakamura only gave us three days." Takara answered. "And the way this terrain is going, not to mention how bad this forest is, we're going to go slow until it clears up. Maybe slower soon since I noticed we're starting to go uphill… I suppose he might give us more time because of this…"

Satoru grimaced and gave a bit of a tinkling sound.

"Well, _if_ she decides to ride off again after that, it's not our problem anymore. We'll be too far to run into her." Takeshi responded.

"I don't really feel like delaying us that long, though." Jiro answered. "It took us six hours to get this far and we stopped making good time a while ago. We'll _really_ be making bad time from here on in. She can't go that fast, which means the best chance of getting her back quickly is Nobuyuki, and it'll take him six hours to get back to Arender-ken and six hours to get back. It'll be dark by then…and considering the progressively greater amounts of snow on the ground, it'll probably be snowing. That's fine by me but you other three will probably suffer for it."

"We can't just leave her to freeze." Takara protested. She sighed. "…Maybe we should do what she says and take her with us. She seems like she's not too afraid of us. Plus maybe we'll be able to negotiate with Eiko more if she's along…"

"True, but she'll _really_ slow us down." Nobuyuki answered. "She may still look full of 'energy' after walking around for two hours on her own, but she could tire any minute. And even if she doesn't, she's not nearly as strong as we are. She couldn't possibly keep up."

Satoru chimed again.

"That's right." Takara maintained, pointing to him. "I'm going to be ground-bound if this forest clears up and we're heading up any freezing mountains, so that means I won't be going too fast myself."

The Jolly Bear thought over what they said for a moment, crossing his arms and rubbing his beard. "Hmm…having her along for Eiko might indeed be a good plan. And if she _really_ did tire along with you two, I could always move you in my other form…"

Jiro groaned. "You _really_ want to bring her with us? In spite of how dangerous this could be and the fact that if she dies on our watch, then we'll _definitely_ be blamed for it?"

Takeshi exhaled. "I don't like it much myself…but I only feel like she's going to be safe if she's with us, and _I_, for one, want to keep moving." He turned slightly to Jiro. "Why you getting so bent out of shape about her, kenshusei?"

"I'm not 'getting bent out of shape'." Jiro protested. "I just don't like the idea of having to look out for a clueless mortal noblewoman when we're pressed for time and against an opponent like this. I can't really 'cut loose' with her around. And what if she starts talking about how her feet hurt…taking a hundred breaks…saying how cold she is…"

"She really doesn't seem the type, to be honest." Takeshi answered. He frowned. "…If for no other reason than I think she's so clueless and deluded about her own ability she'd try to climb a wall of solid ice and risk breaking every bone in her body before she'd admit it was a problem…"

Nobuyuki took the moment to give the Laughing Frost a firmer look. "Now Jiro…be honest. You can tell like the rest of us she's not like the 'typical' noble. She wasn't even mad about us raiding the pantry, yes? Doesn't even seem to know us enough to be scared of our reputation. Do you _really_ want her to suffer harm because we weren't willing to bring her?"

Jiro held on hearing that. He grimaced a bit. His head turned, and he saw Akiko continuing to wander off in the wrong direction. His face softened a bit, and he sighed.

"…Hey." He called out. "Hold up. Stick with us. We know our way through the country better."

Immediately, Akiko turned to them with an excited look. "Really? I can come with you?" She chimed, before shaking her head and trying to look more "proper".. "I mean…very well. I'll accept you five as my royal escort."

The Laughing Frost sighed on hearing that. "Sometimes I wish I _did_ have a 'frozen heart'..or whatever…" Jiro muttered, but also smiled a bit at Akiko's cover up.

"Best come this way, my lady." Nobuyuki stated as the rest of the five began to break up to get on the move again. "The trail still lasts a bit longer yet before it fades completely."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. Yuki no Hime

Tensions, naturally, still ran high at Arender-ken castle. If anything, they were worse than ever. The various nobles and their associated retinues and soldiers had "pooled their resources" together considering the situation, but none of them liked the fact that they were forced to pretty much "wait around and hope for the best". Of course, going out again was nearly suicide considering what happened to the last group, and that ended up leaving them in a state of limbo fearful about what would happen. By now, the rumor had gone about that the Jido no Hogu-sha themselves had been brought in, but this caused considerable tension as well because everyone had been told to fear them and the power they represented for some time. And since the entire affair was shrouded in a great deal of mystery, to say nothing of what the daimyo was doing in the first place, no one knew what to make of anything. Some thought that the lords had made "deals with demons" in order to bring the five in. Others thought they were going off to join with the "yuki-onna". And all fears steadily grew worse as it continued to grow colder out…

By now, in spite of the citizenry wanting to stay indoors, Nakamura and Hachiro had been rousing them to start making preparations for "winter". And now was a good time. Each day set a new record for coldness, and this evening it was actually beginning to snow a bit as fresh water iced over. That meant work had to be done to cut more firewood and see to whatever livestock was being raised. Certain homes and buildings had to be reinforced for winter weather and whatever boats weren't already in dry dock that could be needed to be before it got too cold or icy to work.

Naturally, those in charge were rather nervous. Nakamura himself had set three days, but he wondered if that in and of itself was too long. Already, he was trying to muster his forces again, this time hoping to bring Itachitoko and whatever other onmyoji he could with him. They needed to leave as soon as the three days were over. To be honest, he wasn't sure whether or not word should be sent to the shogun to muster a larger army himself. After all, if this cold kept spreading and it put the entire nation at risk, then the daimyo would have to be stopped before she created conditions too severe to even reach her. Although how anyone could hope to fight her now…other than the Jido no Hogu-sha…was a mystery…

Everyone was lost in their own thoughts as a result, and everyone was brooding. No one slept easy in spite of the guest rooms being comfortable and, for the moment, warm. An air of uneasiness and anxiety was upon all, growing fear with each new flake of snow that fell outside in the middle of summer. No one seemed to notice much of anything unless they were talked to directly. The same went for the upper floor, where the suites for the nobles were located. This was where the shogun's own representatives were located, including Itachitoko.

As he walked along, he gave the occasional nod to a passing guard or noble, but the few that answered him in kind did so absent-mindedly, clearly more preoccupied with the current situation. No one really had much to say at this time or felt too much in the mood for talking unless it involved the next course of action, and this late people were turning in. After all, it probably wasn't going to be much longer before no one would be getting any sleep.

The onmyoji soon reached the door to his own chamber. Only once there did he pause. He straightened his robes and hair style…using the moment to look around a bit, as if to make sure no one was spying on him. After that, he slid the door aside and stepped within. He closed it soon after.

The room was still done up from his own retinue bringing his personal travel effects. However, there were certain "portions" of it that the onmyoji had done himself. Namely the articles that pertained to his own "magical artifacts". He sternly warned both his own men as well as the castle staff not to touch them or even come near them. In fact, his room was off limits, even to the cleaning staff. And so they had withdrawn. Now that he was inside himself, however, he looked around a bit, as if assuming there would be an eavesdropper, before looking to the foot of his bed.

A red cloth covered a small chest of sorts there.

He quickly approached it and uncovered it, revealing not only the chest but a double lock on it that required two keys. He removed two from a chain around his neck, hidden under his high-collared clothing, and began to unlock it. Once open, even if one wasn't a fellow onmyoji or magician, they would have been repulsed by what was inside. It smelled of sulphur and looked like a rather foul, heathen, and demonic idol.

Itachitoko quickly removed this as well as four candles and some incense. He closed the chest soon after, placed the heathen idol on top of it, arranged the candles and lit them, and finally offered some of the incense in front of it. After that, he dropped into a kneel before the profane symbol, touching his head and palms to the ground in the lowest posture he could muster.

A few moments of silence passed, with a foul, brimstone scent coming from the incense rather than anything sweet, and the candles slowly burning softly…

Then, the idol suddenly began to glow with unearthly, hellish light. The eyes gleamed like red clothes of the abomination that it was crafted into, and the four candles all blazed forth eight times as strongly, turning them into true plumes of flame. A moment later, a low voice, deep and unearthly, began to speak from the idol.

_"__Is it done?"_

"It is indeed done, my lord." Itachitoko answered, not lifting his head. "I did as you wished. I summoned the Jido no Hogu-sha, and they are going to slay her now."

_"__Good. How long have they given them to succeed?"_

"Three days, the amount I suggested to that dog Nakamura, just as you wished."

_"__Wonderful…"_

"But I've seen her power first-hand, my lord… I have a hard time believing even they can kill her…"

_"__There is more than one way to wound someone mortally. This is happening exactly as it should be."_

"Even with Lady Akiko out there as well?"

_"__That only ensures success even more than before. Just be sure…in three days time, either have her head before you or notify me with whatever Nakamura is planning. The sooner she is finished…the sooner you will have your reward."_

In spite of his head bowed low, Itachitoko's eyes lit up with ravenous greed. At long last…no longer forced to be in the relatively "lowly" position of court magician. No longer having to perform divination and "tricks" for the emperor. To actually _be_ the emperor…a _true_ emperor…one who would need no shogun to handle his affairs for him. One who would wield the power of gods… He had dreamed of this day ever since he started practicing magic…ever since he learned it was possible to make covenants with these dark spirits and gain their power as a reward… To think…in less than a week…less than _half_ a week…he would be a living god…

"Is there anything else you need from me?"

_"__Just contact me again if Nakamura decides to go out. I'll have instructions for you then. Rest assured…the Jido no Hogu-sha will leave the queen 'wounded' even if they fail to kill her…and you will find her much easier prey after that…"_

* * *

Unfortunately, the prediction was exactly right. The five…now six…continued onward from there, and the snow continued to get deeper as the temperature continued to drop, not just from the "coming winter" but also from the setting sun and the uphill march. The trees began to thin out and everyone began to breathe a little harder. Only an hour after meeting with Akiko, it began to snow. It continued to do so progressively harder as they went up. It wasn't too terribly heavy, but mixed with past snowfalls, it wasn't long before they were trudging along through a good foot and a half of it. The fine, powdery stuff, unfortunately.

Akiko, naturally, did the worst out of all of them, even Satoru. However, remarkably enough, she wasn't doing as bad as they thought. She had at least dressed herself very well and got good footwear before departing, and she kept such a good pace that she never shivered. She clearly panted and wheezed at points, but she never asked for a break. That didn't mean she didn't need one, and that they didn't have to stop once or twice…but she never asked to stop. She forced herself to keep an even pace with them too. Jiro and Takeshi were forced to give her at least a bit of credit for that. She wasn't slowing them down much. And once Takara was finally forced to land and get her translucent wings underneath her cape, she didn't slow them down at all.

As the trees thinned and the sun was blotted out by clouds, Akiko looked up while they walked and let out a breath of white mist. The air was filled with thousands upon thousands of puffy flakes, drifting around like clouds of white bees. She seemed almost captivated.

"It's…so beautiful…" She remarked.

Takeshi let out a snort. "Yeah…so long as you're rich with a nice warm castle to live in, plenty of money to spend on clothes and food, and don't have to go out shoveling or trying to grow anything in-"

"Ah, lighten up, you spring hare." Jiro snorted, giving him a rap on the head with his staff to cut it off. "She said it's beautiful and that means it's beautiful."

"I know it's cold and hard sometimes," Akiko added. "But still…it's so…I don't know…magical, it seems. Just watching the snow dancing like that…how it transforms the world into this white, mystical place… It's like nothing is the same now…"

Jiro actually smiled a bit more at this, again crossing his staff behind his head and looking up. "I always thought the same too. I mean…you'd think that's typical for a guy like me. But no…somehow I think I loved winter even before I lost my memory. Sure it's cold and wet…but it's also a time when everything is 'magic' outside. When you can see everything in a new light…when you can walk around outside and feel everything is 'different' and special… Even if you only see it as a season of 'death' or 'hardship', you can still appreciate the 'warmer' months more for it…"

"I still say too damn cold…" The Ghost Hare grumbled.

"Oh, it's really not that bad, Takeshi." Nobuyuki went on. "It is like the rest of nature. Dangerous…but also beautiful. It must be respected as all the things in the natural world. Think…what would the world be if there was only summer?"

"Full of a lot more greenery, I'd think." He answered.

Nobuyuki snorted. "Heh…you're not the first to think that…" He answered, but said no more.

The trees gradually began to fade away, and the trail became so covered with snow that it was impossible to see it any further. Here was where the going became very slow. The snow was still so powdery that it was easy to stumble on stones, rocks, or anything else that _wasn't_ on the trail. They had to move more cautiously to keep from tripping and stumbling. As they went along, the "poofy" flakes gradually faded, being replaced by smaller flakes of snow that came down in more stinging sheets as the wind picked up. When the last of the woods were gone, it really hit them. At this point, Akiko, in spite of not protesting, was getting very tired. She stumbled into the snow more than once, which by now was two feet deep and took some time to get out of again. When she did, she had snow in her clothes and had to shake and beat herself off before she could keep going. Satoru couldn't possibly move anymore in this, and once again had to be carried by Nobuyuki. Takara couldn't fly in the snow, and Takeshi was ground bound too. Only Jiro was still casually taking it in stride, letting the increasing wind make him "drift" in circles around the group. Yet eventually, when the sun went down and both darkness and the temperature fell, they all began to shiver except for Jiro and Nobuyuki.

"We should probably take shelter for the night." Takara said in between shudders.

"Sure you want to quit so soon today?" Jiro casually asked. "We only have two days after this."

"I'm afraid it's too cold on our friends, kenshusei." Nobuyuki stated. "And Satoru does not like being carried. By tomorrow, this snow will be packed enough for him to walk on."

"But…where can we stay?" Akiko called. "We're already above the trees…"

"Not to worry." Takeshi answered. "I can hear the wind echoing just a bit further…"

Akiko didn't know what he meant by that, but soon found out when not much longer the group ran into a shrine along the mountainside. It was already well covered with the heavy snowfall, and it was dark inside, not maintained in the least, but it would provide sanctuary from the wind and snow. The group went in immediately on arrival and spread their things out. The Jido no Hogu-sha had taken the precaution of packing some light sources with them and began to light them. After that, any blankets, capes, cloaks or covers they had with them were spread out on the floor and around some of the cracks to provide insulation before moving around. Akiko was a bit reluctant, but soon found that Nobuyuki put out such a large amount of heat that even without a fire, it grew much more pleasant and warm inside. She ended up loosening some of her own thick clothing and taking off her hat.

As the five sat down with her and began to get into the stores of food and drink, she looked and saw Nobuyuki setting down his massive swords. She turned her head a bit at them. "You know…I don't really get why you bring those swords everywhere. I mean…they're too big even for you."

"Heh…perhaps I like the 'security', eh?" Nobuyuki simply answered as he got out a bag of tea cakes and started stuffing his face.

Akiko looked to the others, and then grinned a bit.

"This is kind of fun, actually." She announced. "Camping out in a shrine in the middle of a magical winter… Hanging out with a gang of yokai… This is the kind of adventure I would have loved when I was a little girl."

A few of the others smiled back as they got out their food and began to eat a bit. Akiko looked to them for a moment, seeing them eat and drink, and her smile faded a little. She looked down to herself, and put a hand on her own stomach. A small noise came from it, which caused Takeshi's ear to shift, and him to stop in the middle of his drinking from the sake cask and grimace. Nobuyuki, who was the next closest, also looked a bit to her. Satoru, Takara, and Jiro were all far on the others side and kept eating, although they soon noticed the others. After a moment, Akiko looked up a bit, and formed a sheepish grin.

"Er…I don't suppose any of you have any spare food on you that you could spare, do you?"

Takeshi let his cask fall and groaned. "For the love of… Did you plan at _all_ for a long trip?"

"I…kind of thought I'd be back in Arender-ken by dark." Akiko answered with a sheepish shrug. "I was on a horse, you know."

The others had stopped by now and frowned. As for Takeshi, he sighed, rolled his eyes, and then did something strange. He held up two fingers, brought them in front of him, and then made a bit of a gesture, drawing some symbol on the air. Once done, he took up his liquor again and resumed drinking.

Akiko blinked, and looked uneasy. "So…um…that's a no?"

Takeshi sighed. "Take a look around you."

The young noblewoman blinked, and looked around a bit. She saw nothing at first, and didn't know what he meant. Yet as she leaned back a bit, she felt a lump of some sort. She turned and looked, and realized something was under her cape. She dug under it, and a moment later, to her wide-eyed surprise, she brought out a rather large egg almost the size of a bucket painted with vibrant colors. She was astonished.

Takara actually grinned on seeing it. Jiro looked up from his own fish, and snickered. "How 'bout that… I guess you really _are_ a 'child at heart' if it was able to work on you. When's the last time you've seen Takeshi's power work on someone her age, Nobuyuki?"

"Heh…perhaps two hundred years ago, at best." The Jolly Bear answered.

Akiko ignored this for the moment, looking over the egg a bit, holding it up and turning it around. However, her gloved hands slipped on it, and with a grimace she watched as it went out of her grip and crashed to the ground, cracking open. Yet on doing so, she was astonished to see a great deal of steam come out, followed by what looked like small pastries inside. She blinked a bit, and then leaned her head over and smelled. Her face lit up.

"Pork buns! My favorite!" She said before snatching one up and immediately beginning to eat it. "Mmm! I've never tasted one so good before! That's an awesome trick!"

Takeshi couldn't help but give a hint of a smile as he took another swig. "You're welcome."

"But I don't get it…" She said around a mouthful of bun as she grabbed another one. "How come you didn't just do this before? You can have all the tasty food you want…"

"No, I can't." The Ghost Hare responded. "My power doesn't work like that. It's more selective than you think. It depends on a number of things, but the greatest of them is 'childlike hope'. The hope that only a child can have for the future."

"The fact that it worked on you means that you must have the faith of a child." Takara explained. "You must really honestly believe when we find Eiko everything will work out just fine."

"Of course it will. Why wouldn't it?" Akiko answered as she stuffed her face with another bun.

Nobuyuki laughed. "Is that so? I am glad to have a 'child at heart' with us. We're at our best in such times."

The young woman looked to him. "Oh?"

"Not enough to have just a 'little hope'." Nobuyuki went on. "If you had only a little, then maybe that egg would have only had bread in it. Or porridge. But because you are bursting with hope…it was filled with your favorite food. Same with me." He patted his big chest. "For me…'childlike wonder' is what gives me my power. Only I don't give eggs with treats. I give gifts. See now…look under your right arm."

"Huh?" The young lady answered, turning her head down. "I don't…"

She cut herself off with a gasp. Putting down…rather dropping…her latest pork bun, she quickly spun to her side and came up a moment later with what looked like a small yet ornate doll of a child with nearly-white hair. She stared at it in amazement.

"This…this is just like the doll my mom gave to me when I was younger…when she and dad had dolls of Eiko and me made… I thought I broke this years ago when I dropped it down the stairs…but it's exactly like how I remember… It looks just like her when she was younger…" She blinked, and then turned and looked up to Nobuyuki. "Did you just 'conjure' this too?"

"Heh, oh no…I made it." The big man answered.

Akiko looked puzzled. "Huh? But…you couldn't have. You didn't have time and-"

"When the person I'm making the gift for has enough 'wonder', I can be, how shall we say, 'quite fast'. A blink of an eye or a nod of a head, even." Nobuyuki answered. "Why…Takara says I could make gifts for all the children of the world in a year if there was enough wonder in it."

Akiko, now more enthused, looked to Takara. "What about you? What's your power?"

She smiled. "I don't need to give you that one, Akiko. You already have it. You know I'm big on 'teeth'…but there's a good reason for that. When a child loses a tooth, they lose a 'copy' of themselves, in a way, with it. An impression of their mind and even their spirit goes with it. New teeth come in, and those are ones for an 'adult', when a child becomes a newer person. Stronger, wiser…but also lacking in a lot of the innocence they once had. Not having as much optimism or desire to change the world for the better…losing sight of things that are really important." She smiled a bit more. "That's why I collect the teeth of children. When I have them, I can make an adult remember what it was like when they were a child…when things were 'simpler', when 'choosing good over evil' seemed so much easier to make in spite of how hard it might have been, when the world was still new and they could see things in the light of an innocent child. It's very important to some people. Those memories sometimes draw them out of dark places or despair…or simply apathy."

The young woman hung on every word, and then looked to Satoru. "And what do you do?"

Satoru opened his mouth and let out a large tinkling sound.

Jiro snickered. "I'll 'translate'. Satoru's specialty is dreams. Some people say that dreams are there only to seduce, tempt, and deceive you…and sometimes that's true. But it also helps you to see something besides the hardness of reality. They allow you to reshape your world and see it in a new light. They give you hope and happiness for the future rather than depression and fear." He waved his hand a bit. "Lots of other poetic stuff I don't care to repeat…but suffice to say Satoru's power is the essence of belief itself. Dreams are what make you see the impossible. Sometimes they come true…but even if they don't, some dreams are worth having and pursuing simply because they're better than what is."

Akiko smiled at him. "And what about you? What's yours?"

Jiro's own smile faded. Not only his, but everyone else's as well. All of them began to look a bit uncomfortable. Akiko looked around a bit, and began to grimace a little.

"Um…did I say something wrong?"

Jiro didn't answer. He simply crossed his staff over his shoulder and bowed his head. The others looked likewise uneasy. Akiko, growing more uncomfortable herself all the time, moistened her lips, and looked to Nobuyuki as she put the doll down.

"Er…um…Nobuyuki-san? You were about to say something earlier when we were walking? About Takeshi-san not being the 'first to think that'?"

"Hmm?" He answered, raising his head. However, it seemed to snap him out of the quietness. "Oh…oh yes. Heh, it reminded me of an old story. Even old by yokai. It goes back to before there were many men or women out there. My grandfather told me, and his grandfather told him, and his grandfather told him."

By now, the others were easing up a bit. Akiko, eager for this to continue, spoke again. "What's the story?"

The big man leaned back a bit. "Let me see… How did it go? Oh… You see…many years ago…long before any living yokai was born…when men first walked the Earth, they saw that there was light and dark…summer and winter. They went out to grow their food and catch fish, and in the summer things were good. But when winter came and froze everything, they could not grow or fish. Because humans were so young and they were not as 'accustomed' to winter yet, they hated this. They grew to dislike it…even angry at it. They loved the summer and the sun, but hated the winter, the cold, and the dark. They made pleas to the gods again and again to give them endless day and summer sun so that they could grow all year long and have more than enough food. But the gods refused to answer them at all.

"Finally, there was a fire demon who heard the moaning and complaining of the people and, in exchange for tribute and prayers to him, agreed to give them what they wished. Thinking only of their greed to have no end to light and warmth, the people foolishly consented, abandoning the gods and praying to him instead. In turn, he made a second sun that would provide warmth all day and light every time the first went down. There was sun and warmth at all times, and the people rejoiced and cried for joy.

"But the joy did not last. With the second sun up, no clouds ever formed. Only the sun all day long. The people, so used to night for sleeping, now lay awake in bed unable to rest. They grew tireless. The heat lasted all day, and never did they get the slightest relief from it as it stayed warm at all times. As the sun continued to burn, it grew hot. No rain would fall. Soon the crops began to dry up for lack of water. Then so did the forests and streams and lakes. The people began to languish from the endless light and heat, unable to get any respite. The land began to go from green to brown and dry, and grew hotter and warmer as time went on. The people suffered and cried out for relief to the demon, but he would not hear their pleas. Nor did he want to, for his kind of folk grew strong and fat off of the suffering of mankind. Finally, the heat grew so unbearable that dried out plants burst into flame. Not long after, so did the homes. Soon there would be no shade and all of the people and animals would burst into flame as well.

"Only here did a single young woman fall on her knees and beg forgiveness of the gods for human laziness and foolishness. She knew now, as they all did, that snow, rain, cold, and dark were necessary to live as was the sun. And while the rest of the humans were too prideful even now to admit their wrong to the gods, she pleaded with them to have pity. In response, the winter kami came forth and immediately covered the earth in such a blizzard that it snuffed out the second sun and banished the fire demon. As for the world, it was buried in snow and dark for an entire year to give relief from the accursed sun, before day finally broke again and melted the snow to refill the rivers and lakes once again. Having been punished twice for their idleness, mankind vowed never to wish for something so rash again, and learned to accept all seasons, not just the 'pleasant' ones."

Akiko seemed to enjoy the story a lot, and chuckled once it was done. "That 'young woman' kind of reminds me of Eiko…except, you know, your story happened thousands of years ago and Eiko is just three years older than me…"

"Heh…even among yokai, this is mostly just a fairy tale." Nobuyuki answered. "A warning against thinking you can get away without taking the 'bad' with the 'good'…or, more importantly, seeing the good in the 'bad'."

"We'll see how much even _you_ like winter tomorrow." Takeshi frowned. "I'm starting to hope it 'levels out' pretty soon, but I think it's going to get worse before that. My feet are fine but when the wind started blowing I couldn't stand this happening to…my extremities. I think I'm going to have to put them under my hood…"

Akiko turned her head to him curiously. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Immediately, he clammed up and recoiled a bit. Jiro cracked a grin.

"…Nothing."

"Oh, come on." Jiro teased. "You planning on hiding it the whole time? I know they have to be getting itchy…"

Takeshi grit his teeth at him, but finally sighed.

"…They _are_, as a matter of fact." He looked to Akiko soon after. He frowned a bit. "…If I do this, you don't laugh and don't say anything."

The young noblewoman didn't really know what he was talking about, but gave a shrug. "Um, ok. Sure."

"I'm serious!" He nearly snapped.

Akiko recoiled. "Ok, ok! No problem!" She said as she put her hands up defensively.

Takeshi grimaced at her a bit longer. Finally, letting out a big sigh, he reached up to his hood. Grabbing the edge of it, he pulled it off. As he did, however, the ears were pulled through holes in it…and when the hood was fully removed, it still had a pair of fluffy ears sticking out the top of his head, and only blank spots where "human ears" would have been. He grimaced as they twitched slightly.

Akiko stared for a moment, her body quivering…struggling not to make the slightest giggle. Her lips began to twist a bit, but she quickly covered her mouth. After a moment, she swallowed down and began to speak. "Oh…that is _so_ cu-"

Takeshi's eyes shot daggers.

"I mean…that's interesting!" She choked out with a smile.

Takeshi grimaced as he leaned back. "Oh, _everyone_ thinks it's 'cool looking' whenever you run into a cat yokai…or a dog yokai…or a wolf yokai… But a hare yokai? Oh, they just 'look funny'. You know how hard it is to get taken serious in a fight when everyone is laughing at your ears?"

"Hey, it's not so bad." Akiko answered with a shrug. "Kids like to pet them, don't they?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't let _anyone_ touch them."

"He's big on his 'image'." Jiro threw in. "My guess is you'll never see him the same away again." He chuckled. "I know _I_ sure don't."

The Ghost Hare blustered at that.

"Alright, alright," Nobuyuki spoke up. "Let us not, with the arguing, up all the night stay. You're right about one thing. It will get colder tomorrow and yet we will have more ground to cover. Everyone will need their strength."

* * *

_You can't expect me to sit here and watch you die forever!_

_You _have_ to! It's never going to change!_

* * *

Jiro stiffened and opened his eyes a bit rapidly, spasming a bit. For a young man who always made things cold, one wouldn't think it would be possible to wake up "with a chill". But he felt a bit of coldness in the pit of his stomach as he suddenly came alert.

It was late now. The snow was still falling outside, but the inside of the shrine was dark. Jiro saw that he had one corner "all to himself". Not surprising. Awake or asleep, morning, noon, or night, Jiro always generated cold. He actually had a layer of frost around where he had been lying. The others had mostly surrounded Akiko, and Nobuyuki had given her his own black-fur-trimmed travel cape and the cloak he picked up from Arender-ken to sleep in. It was only partially out of chivalry…the woman had neglected to bring anything of the sort with her other than her clothes. However, Jiro almost immediately looked to someone different…Takara.

After a moment, he rolled up from where he lay and went over to her. If he was in a "prank" mood, he'd stick his icy-cold hands down her neck to wake her up. However, he was feeling a bit more "serious" right now, and simply grasped her shoulder and gave a shake.

"Takara." He said quietly.

She moaned a bit, but said no more.

"Takara." He said a bit more loudly.

She moaned again, but still nothing.

"Takara. Wake up."

She stirred one more time, and then her eyes fluttered. "Mmm…Jiro?" Her eyes opened, blinked a few times, and looked around. "Jiro…it's still dark… What's the matter?"

"I need you to try and use your power on me again." Jiro answered. "Right now."

Takara blinked again…but then gave him a dull look.

"Jiro…it's the middle of the night…"

"I know, but this won't wait. I just had that dream again."

The woman looked up a bit at this, some of her feathers raising. "You did?" She paused afterward. "…Even so, go back to sleep. I can try again in the morning." She began to roll over.

"No, Takara! I don't want to wait!" He insisted, putting his hand on her. "Please…try again right now!"

"I'm not at my best…"

"Just one more time!"

The woman held a moment, and then gave a long sigh. However, it wasn't of acquiescence. While normally child-like and exciteable, Takara looked to him with a firmer, duller expression.

"Jiro…I don't want to have to be 'blunt' with you, but you might as well hear it now. I can't bring back your memory. No matter how bad you want me to."

Jiro remained insistent. "Please…"

"Jiro…I've tried this at least two dozen times. It won't work."

His eager look suddenly vanished, replaced by one of irritation…even anger.

"Why _won't_ it?" He nearly snapped, his voice almost raising in enough volume to wake up the others. He leaned back and sat on the ground, clenching his teeth and his hands into fists. It was enough to make Takara blink, and lean up more from his own position. "You're supposed to have power over memory! Why can't you bring back _mine_?"

The Tooth Dragon leaned up a bit more, looking at Jiro uneasily. She could see the pain in his face, the frustration and anger about this situation. She had seen it many times before…but her nature didn't make her pity him any less for it. She sat up fully and exhaled, folding her hands in front of her.

"Jiro…I'm sorry, but I can't force people to remember things. Not against their will."

"What are you talking about?" The Laughing Frost retorted. "I _want_ to remember! I want to more than anything!"

Takara shut her eyes and sighed, slowly shaking her head. "That's only your amnesiac self talking. But somewhere deep inside your mind…underneath your 'conscious' self…you don't. That's the only reason my power won't work. Jiro…whatever happened to you to make you lose your memory; it had to be something horrible. Something extremely painful. So painful that if you try and remember who you are, you'll remember that as well, and your mind desperately doesn't want to."

The pale young man scowled as he looked to the ground. "…Then whoever I was before must have been a real wimp…if the 'real me' is so much of a coward he's willing to spend the rest of his life not knowing who he is or where he's going to spare himself a few tears."

"It's much more serious than that, Jiro." The woman responded. "If you can't remember…then it has to be something that could ruin you completely. It might _destroy _you."

"I'll take that chance. It's better than always feeling alone and meaningless."

"Jiro…you're _not_ alone. You have us…"

"But I'm not _one_ of you!" Jiro insisted, his anger abating and turning to more anxiety. "I was just 'drafted'! You took me in, but I wasn't one of you! I wasn't a human who got killed and then had the moon god bring them back as 'something else'! And if I was, why can't I remember like you can? You all remember being human…"

"It won't be forever, Jiro." Takara tried to reassure. "I know it won't. You just have to reach the point in your life where it won't 'hurt' as much…or where remembering is more important than anything else."

"Remembering is the _only_ thing important to me!" He insisted. "Why can't I know now?"

The Tooth Dragon didn't answer, for she had none to give. She merely sat there silently, looking to Jiro with concern and compassion, but able to give little else other than a listening ear. The young man sighed and continued to sit there for a time, but finally grimaced and looked away.

"…Sorry for waking you up. It was stupid of me. Just…just had another dream where I _almost_ remembered something…"

"I understand. Don't worry about it." A pause. "Want me to get Satoru up? He'll give you some pleasant dreams…"

The young man paused, and then shook his head. "…No thanks." He said before beginning to crawl back to where he had been sleeping. "I'll be better tomorrow…when I start giving that 'snow queen' conniption fits trying to stop me…"

"…You sure?"

Jiro hesitated a moment, but then managed a small smile. He gave her a nod. "Yeah. …Thanks."

She softly smiled back. "No problem. I care about you, Jiro." She snickered a bit. "Nice having a young fellow like you in our group. And your teeth are the whitest I've ever seen. You know how I _love_ clean teeth."

The Laughing Frost snickered again. "…And I kind of like that obsession of yours, even if it is a bit demented."

"Dragons have that sort of thing going on."

"I'll just bet. Goodnight."

* * *

The next morning wasn't a very welcome sight.

The snow was still fine and still coming down steadily…enough to where six inches of it had mounded up enough to start spilling into the room. Outside, the shrine was rapidly being turned into a snowdrift. And it was still quite cold out. Akiko, Takara, Satoru, and Takeshi had been warm enough nestled into small little bundles and lying close together, but waking up this morning brought a rather sharp chill to all of them as they got up and tried to get the blood moving. They ate rather quickly this morning.

"Have to get a move on fast today…" Takeshi muttered. "Hopefully she's not too much farther. I don't think those men of Nakamura's could have gone much more."

"I hope you're right." Jiro added as he looked outside. "I love a good snowstorm as much as the next…er…whatever I am, but this is the kind that's looking a bit more problematic." He looked indoors. "It's likely packed enough for Satoru and Akiko to walk on. Still…it would be nice if we had some snowshoes…"

"My wings are going to be so brittle they'll feel like breaking off by the end of the day…" Takara sighed.

"You got one good thing on your side though." Takeshi stated as he got his hood back on his head. "You're better at breathing than the rest of us. When the high elevations start dragging Nobuyuki and Jiro down, you'll still be good."

"Yeah…if I can stop myself from shivering long enough to get out my jitte…"

"Alright, done!" Akiko said as she finished wiping her mouth from the last of the morning's food, which had been onigiri this time in one of Takeshi's eggs. "Now let's get out there and find Eiko!"

The Laughing Frost snickered. "You heard the lady. Let's get a move on, you thin-skinned louts."

A few minutes later, and everyone had loaded up and trudged out into the snow. By now, the landscape was so covered that it was impossible to make out almost any features other than the mountains and hills. Not that it mattered. They had left the trees behind already, and now it was packed enough on the lowest layers to keep them from bumping their feet or tripping on roots and rocks. Still, it was deep, and it was hard for the weaker members to trudge through. And the snow was still coming down heavily enough that you couldn't see more than fifty meters in front of you. Not to mention they still had to go uphill. Jiro knew right on that this was going to be a hard day. There was little reason to suspect Eiko wasn't still miles away from here, perhaps on the other side of a few mountains, but at the rate they went when they took off, he knew full well if she didn't show up quickly they were going to be in trouble. They were very slow going starting out, and there was no way Akiko would be able to stay with them even if she didn't complain or stop.

Still, they had only gone about a half mile up the mountain, reaching a much more level area which enabled them to move faster, before Nobuyuki pointed out the obvious.

"I'm afraid, given the time limit that we have been granted, we will all not be able to reach wherever Lady Eiko is currently residing in time."

"Oh, that's not a problem!" Akiko cheerily answered. "I'll make sure you guys don't get any trouble for being late."

"While I appreciate the sentiment," Takeshi answered. "Nakamura already overruled you once. I think he and Itachitoko would be more than willing to do so again. Sorry…but we're stuck with three days."

"You know what that means, right?" Jiro added. "I guess the rest of you will be leaving this to Nobuyuki and me. Better if you just head back to that shrine and hunker down until the 'spring thaw'."

"Just you wait a second, kenshusei." Takeshi shot back, suddenly stopping in his tracks and turning around to face him. "You haven't forgotten my power, have you? Not only will that be good in a snap but if I start using it instead of walking, I'll be faster than the rest of you lickety split."

"And you're nuts if you think I'm backing down!" Akiko insisted. "I have to make sure you all don't try and hurt Eiko!"

"I don't want to be left behind either!" Takara insisted. "I thought you said I had an advantage at higher elevations?"

Satoru, in spite of being up to his waist in snow at the moment, frowned and let out an angry chiming noise.

"Oh…come on, everyone. Let that not be the way you are going to be." Nobuyuki answered. "It's just too slow for all of us to go."

"Well you may be 'cold-tolerant', Nobuyuki. But _I'm_ the faster of the two." Takeshi insisted. "If you're trying to get to her on time, then I should go."

"And I'll go without you all if I have to." Akiko shot back.

"Oh, come on…" Jiro groaned. "Don't make us all go just to babysit you…"

"I don't _need _your protection!" The noblewoman insisted.

"Oh, sure…that's why you needed us for both food and shelter over the past day…" The Laughing Frost answered with an eye roll.

A tingling sound went out.

"Everyone be calm." Nobuyuki stated. "Arguing is just going to make things worse. Look, we will-"

A loud whistle cut the big man off, and made everyone look to the source. They saw Takara grinning a bit and waving her hand, removing her fingers from her mouth with the other. Satoru sighed in relief, looking like he had been stressed out until then.

"Sorry, everyone…but I kept an eye on Satoru in case he needed to get our attention again."

Jiro blinked. "Huh…good move. Anyway…" He looked to him. "What is it, big guy?"

In response, the tension of trying to get their attention quickly vanished, and was replaced by more anxiety as the Sand Moth pointed in the distance. Jiro and the others looked.

For a moment, they saw only the flying snow in the distance coming down so steadily that it made the world around them vanish into gray. Yet as they continued to stand there, they saw in short order a change…a large, looming shadow within it. Not only that, but it soon became fairly clear that the shadow was drawing nearer, and slowly emerging from the snow. Jiro, on seeing this, lost his smile and focused. A moment later, he had his staff out and crossed in front of him, even as the others similarly got ready. Takara drew her jitte and risked getting back in the air again with a flutter. Takeshi's kunai was up as he primed himself to throw it. Nobuyuki didn't touch his swords, but instead got himself into ready position with his fists at his sides. Even Satoru reached for his own belt and undid a pair of pouches, reaching inside for something… That left Akiko, who tried to look bold for a moment…only to realize she had no weaponry, and with a sigh moved to get behind Nobuyuki.

As for the shape, it continued to get closer. And as it did, the sound of its movements gradually came in over the flying snow. They weren't "pleasant sounding". Rather, it was the sound of one huge foot after another crunching into the snow as it advanced. A bit closer, and the ground actually shook a bit. Yet that soon only figured…not due to the one shadow, but rather due to the fact that five other shadows of similar size began to appear in the snowstorm as well. Around that point, however, the first began to manifest itself.

To be honest, the Jido no Hogu-sha were as amazed as Akiko was.

In the strictest sense of the word, it was a snowman. However, it was a snowman made out of densely packed snow and jagged ice together, and had been made to stand at twelve feet fall and ten feet wide. It was clad in what looked like ornate, royal armor, all made of ice and snow as well. It also bore in two icy, armored fists a pair of axes. They looked slightly dulled, but they would still hurt if something that huge slapped you with them…and were more than capable of being fatal. The face, however, was the worse. While most masks designed to instill fear would resemble oni, this one was of a more frightening visage of some sort of "ice demon", completely with large, sharp teeth. Two pale blue lights glowed from where the eyes were.

As it came through enough snow to see the group, it let out a low growl that echoed long throughout the entire valley. It hefted the axes and picked up speed. Soon, the other five began to come out of the snow…and with more following them.

"Seems like your sister has some samurai of her own…" Jiro muttered.

"Er…I thought when they mentioned a 'giant' earlier, they were just exaggerating…" Takara gulped.

"Feh. You know what they say…" Takeshi answered as he flipped his knife into a ready position and cocked back. "The bigger they are…"

A moment later, he let it fly. Just as back in the village, in instantly began to spin around like a cutter boomerang, and shot straight out for the one in the lead. It arced as it did so, so that a moment later it could shoot about and slice right through the neck region. The large "snow ogre" paused for a moment, spasming a bit as the knife sent out an eruption of snow both at the pojnt of contact and through the other side when it came out and circled back to Takeshi…but that was all. The light in its eyes blazed, and it suddenly let out a much louder roar…to the tune of ice spikes on its armor growing and its blades getting sharper.

Takeshi was a bit wide-eyed. Jiro frowned.

"…The more angry they get when you do something stupid to make them mad?" He asked.

Nobuyuki's eyes narrowed as he put his hands together and began to crack his knuckles. "We'll actually have to put everything into this one, I am thinking…" He muttered. "Lady Akiko, stay back and keep your distance."

"I can help!" She tried to insist.

"Help by not forcing any of us to rescue you!" Takeshi retorted as his kunai flew back into his hands.

"Akiko…do as Takeshi says this time." Takara added, in a quieter but still forceful voice. "This is going to be dangerous."

The noblewoman continued to protest, but no one was paying attention at this point…simply hoping she did as she was told. Jiro had already sprung into the air and wielded his staff before him.

"Alright, Takeshi…let's see how fast these guys are."

In a snap, he took off, flying for the nearest one. He didn't go in a perfectly straight path. Rather, his body seemed to "drift about" along with the flying snow, matching it as he spiraled and twisted casually one way and another in a constant state of motion, but also headed for the target. As for Takeshi, he was more subtle. He simply stamped his foot against the ground where Nobuyuki cast a shadow, and fell into a "hole" a moment later.

The nearest "snow ogre", seeing Jiro incoming, quickly dashed forward and bellowed again, raising his axes to attack as soon as he was in range. Yet just before Jiro could get close enough, he swung the end of his staff forward, and instantly made a lining of rime and ice crystals appear right across the vision of the beast. Apparently, in spite of their constitution, that worked to blind them…because this one staggered forward wildly, not able to see what was happening. In the meantime, however, Takeshi suddenly popped out of the shadow behind it and sliced out with his kunai again, this time going for where the "hamstrings" would be. While it didn't seem to do lasting damage, the "cuts" he made maintained themselves for a moment, and the effect seemed to be the same as muscles before the beast slammed down against the snow face first.

Takeshi only had a moment to relish his victory before a bellowing, enraged snowbeast like the first stomped forward and tried to slice at him from behind. Luckily, these things were far from quiet, and the Ghost Hare snapped around, quickly tapped his foot, and then vanished into the snow ogre's own shadow. His axe hit nothing, even as Takeshi popped back out of a hole from a shadow on his shoulder. The beast went "wide eyed", and turned in confusion to see him perched there, a moment before his foot went out with terrible force and smashed in his head. Several "ice teeth" of the mask were knocked out…along with a third of the snowbeast's head. Yet in spite of that, it roared with what was left of its mouth and sliced at him with his other arm. In response, Takeshi vanished in another hole and popped up out of its other shoulder, but before he could aim another kick, a third snow ogre, seeing this happening, stomped up to him and swung his arm out to try and slice him with his axe. Quickly, Takeshi tapped his foot again and vanished…allowing this one to slice the arm off of his companion instead. He himself popped out of a hole behind the third one, and then quickly leapt and launched a double kick with enough power to crack the ice armor and send him spilling forward.

The other three were on Jiro already…for all the good it did them. Moving smoothly, effortlessly, and never slowing for a second, he spiraled around the three in, out, around, and every which way, as chaotic and effortless as a flake of snow itself. They all tried to swing at him, of course…but it did no good. It was like trying to smack a feather or a fly. He just seemed to "ride the wind" around them and was left cheerfully smiling and waving at them. He let them continue to rage and fume for a few moments, struggling in vain to hit him again and again, getting more erratic and moving harder and faster to try and get him…when he finally struck. As he shot around, his staff went out and pointed for their feet. One by one, he encased each pair of legs in thick ice, and then, once done, he widened his "orbit" a bit. The snow ogres tried to hit him…and, in response, snapped all of their legs clean off one by one, letting them all fall to the ground and flail. They roared in rage, but that didn't change the fact they were crippled.

"Heh!" Jiro cheered as he landed on the ground and braced his staff for the next wave. "Big, slow, and stupid…just the way I like 'em."

Takeshi, who was already backing up and priming his kunai for another whirl, didn't look nearly so confident as he stood over the remains of the snow ogre that was missing an arm and half of its head. His eyes were already above and looking to the next wave of incoming snow ogres…each one looking madder than the first wave.

"Don't get too cocky yet, kid. The fight's just getting-"

A smacking sound rang out, cutting Takeshi off. Jiro's confident look faded a bit as he looked to him, and actually went a bit wide-eyed. The snow ogre that should have been "dead" actually raised its one remaining arm and smashed it into Takeshi so abruptly and fast that the Ghost Hare had actually gotten "tagged" for once, sent flying back and crashing to the ground. Jiro looked back to the monster in surprise, and got an even nastier one. It was drawing snow to itself…rebuilding. Its face was reconstituting, and its arm was rejoining its body. The others that were injured began to rise too…

In fact, Jiro soon found himself having to take to the air and fly back again, for his own opponents had reconnected their legs during his distraction, and one lunged for him as the others around it began to rise. He quickly had to shoot backward, "riding the wind" again to get clear…and even so it nearly managed to cut him with its axe.

_This could be more problematic…_ The pale man thought. However, that wasn't the half of it when the one who had tried to slice him immediately got to his feet and started to stomp after him, hoisting both axes and roaring all the way. Not only it, but other snow ogres behind it. Getting a bit tensed up, but not yet worried, Jack quickly swept his staff around to the side, and then began to twirl it around in circles. In response, snowballs began to form and shoot out repeatedly at the monster's face. However…they weren't "conventional" snowballs that would just annoy and hurt a bit before breaking apart. These ones were compressed into more of an "iceball" nature, and the impacts actually fractured armor and knocked off pieces of the opponents, forcing them to halt and stagger back.

Unfortunately for Jiro, while this worked enough to protect himself, no one was protecting the stunned Takeshi. As the Ghost Hare struggled rise, three of the snow ogres were running after him to keep pounding on him, and one was already almost on him. Before he had enough of his bearings to know what was going on, it was already there and bringing its axe down, before he even had a chance to look up…

When, abruptly, Nobuyuki shot in front of him and slammed both of his massive palms around the ice blade, catching it where it was. The hulking man quickly twisted the rest of his body in front of Takeshi and planted his feet, his swords still at his side, and grunted and strained to keep the blade catch going. The hooded man came to his senses and looked up, took only a moment to react in shock, and then quickly tapped his foot to vanish into the Jolly Bear's shadow. But even before he did, Nobuyuki gave a grunt and shoved the axe to one side, letting it fall to the ground and embed on nothing. Even as he did, another snow ogre roared and came on him, also with axe in the air. Yet for this one he shot forward and intercepted it, grabbing it by both axe-wielding wrists and digging his feet into the snow. In spite of that…even the "bear" of a man couldn't hold on completely. He was forced back, digging trenches into the powder and visibly straining and grunting under his much larger opponent. Yet somehow…he still managed to hold on. The two grappled for a moment, the monster snarling frost in his face and Nobuyuki gritting his teeth and hanging on as hard as he could… Yet finally, he gave a yell and forced the arms up, before he shot inward and gave a colossal headbutt to the monster. In spite of being made of snow…somehow this stunned it and made it go back. Yelling again, the Jolly Bear swing out a massive first…and punched its lower helmet and jaw clean off before sending it sprawling back on the ground to the tune of a thunderous echo.

More of the snow ogres moved in on him, seeing him as the new "biggest target". Large as he was, he couldn't hope to take out multiple ones. Five were spreading around him…but more were coming out of the snow flurries all the time. Another _eight_ were popping out right now, their weapons naked and bellowing all the way…

Yet they were suddenly halted before they could get closer to Nobuyuki, as if a bit puzzled, and looked down at their feet.

A small golden object was approaching them…the Sand Moth, his odd little face turned into a frown and glaring dangerously and silently at them.

The nearest snow ogres only stayed put a moment longer, before they hoisted their weapons and barreled right at him. Without blinking or showing any fear, Satoru yanked two "scythes" out of his pockets, and then snapped his hands out. Instantly, they extended almost ten meters by lengths of what looked like chains made out of gold moth scales, and solid balls appeared on the other end…making them a pair of deadly, golden kusarigamas. With a few flicks of his wrist and gyrations of his arms, Satoru swung one up in a graceful arc and then lashed out, and it sliced a deep cut from the shoulder to the hip of the nearest snow ogre. The monster actually registered shock as the power not only ripped it in two…but shattered what was behind into pieces. The other snow ogres actually froze momentarily, which was a bad move as with another gesture, Satoru's second sickle and chain sliced one into bits, and a follow up "lash" from his first split another down the middle. The others actually recoiled a bit at that. The little one, in spite of his seemingly harmless stature, soon seemed to actually be the most dangerous of the Jido no Hogu-sha…

On the other hand, Takara soon flew in and tried to attack those going after Jiro. Unfortunately for her, in spite of her speed and maneuverability, no "teeth" were exposed…simply what was on the masks. As she darted in and tried to hit them, the monsters merely bellowed before trying to backhand her out of the sky like a bug…and nearly getting her more than once. The "downdraft" of their fists alone was enough to nearly catch her up.

"I need some help here!" She called. "I can't get to the teeth!"

"I've got it!" Takeshi yelled back, by now back on his feet and resuming his "hole tricks". He hopped into one to avoid a charging snow ogre, and on popping out again he flung his kunai out for a swarm of them trying to attack the Tooth Dragon. Obeying his gesture perfectly, the knife went around and proceeded to shatter the facemasks of each beast…leaving behind equally cruel mouths with "real" ice teeth. Takara flew over one axe swung, and darted in to smash her jitte into one of the teeth of the wielder. Not only did it break it…it worked this time as the monster bellowed in agony and fell back. She quickly moved in to the next exposed one.

Having gained some "breathing room", Jiro quickly took to the air, getting more altitude over the snow ogres. Quickly, he whipped up his staff around him once again, swinging it in a circle and making a ring of ten long icicles form about him, then bringing his staff forward to send them all shooting down and tear into a pair of other snow ogres. Yet even as he did this, he took a moment to look over the area that they were now fighting in…and didn't like what he saw. In spite of Satoru getting "serious", which was rare enough for Jiro, the snow ogres were still putting themselves back together. His were taking more time, but the ones that Jiro and the others were taking down were coming back up in moments. Not only that, but more were still flooding into the battlefield from the storm, which was only seeming to grow stronger. What more, Nobuyuki was getting dogpiled on. Strong and tough as he was, four of them were attacking at a time. Even right now, he saw him backhand one, and another lunge at him only for the Jolly Bear to lean into him and flip him over his body, crashing him into another snow ogre…but leaving himself open for one to swing its axe out and hit him in the arm joint. For a moment, Jiro actually gasped, thinking he had taken his arm off… But, fortunately, the axes were still dull and Nobuyuki's skin was hard. Nevertheless, he cried in pain…something _extremely_ rare…and left himself open for another ogre to punch him across the face into his companions, who hit him from behind…

Yet Jiro soon had problems of his own to worry about. While he was so busy focused on the snow ogres attacking Nobuyuki, he failed to notice the ones on the ground put away their axes and aimed their fists at him. Not very threatening on its own…until small ice spears with barbed heads erupted from the end and shot out for him with the speed of a crossbow bolt. The stunned young man had to quickly brace his staff in front of him and generate an "ice shield" of "counter" power to deflect them, but even then the impact was so great he felt his arms jarring and himself getting forced back.

He wasn't alone. Takara was getting fired at all well, being the other "airborne" one among them and having the greatest impact on her opponents by crippling whatever "spirits" they had. Yet unlike Jiro, who was only relishing the cold wind and power the more time went on, she was getting numb and finding it harder to fly. She couldn't stay as maneuverable. The more she tried to fly in the icy weather, the more pain she put herself in. Therefore, one of the ice knives that fired past her got dangerously close. Not enough to hurt, but enough to actually graze some of her feathers. Still, she gave a cry of alarm and went to the ground as result, touching down and crouching in the snow a moment longer. Instantly, her foes seized on the opportunity. One rushed forward, arms raised, ready to give the finishing blow. And this time, Nobuyuki was too occupied with his own opponents to intervene and no one else was near…

Yet before the monster could strike, a much lighter, simpler ball of snow shot through the air and beaned it in between the glowing eyes. Not enough to hurt it at all, but it was enough to annoy it, and it looked up to glare with killer instinct at who had hit it.

It soon spotted the lady of Arender-ken grinning and pumping her first. "Yes!" She remarked at how good her aim had been. "I mean…no!" She added a moment later when she saw all she had succeeded in doing was making the snow ogre mad, especially a moment later when the beast began to stomp for her instead, ignoring Takara. However, it only got a few steps when a hole suddenly opened beneath one of its legs, and it immediately sunk into the ground. The snow ogre was alarmed, but not nearly as much as a moment later when Takeshi leapt out and into the air a good twenty feet before landing on his head with sufficient force to break his neck off.

"We aren't getting anywhere like this!" Takeshi shouted as he flung his kunai off at another raging snow ogre that had just put itself back together. "They keep coming!"

"We have to stop the source!" Takara answered as she got to her feet just in time to give a nearby snow monster a jab in the teeth with her jitte. "It has to be Lady Eiko! She must be near!"

"Then I'll go after her!" Jiro shouted back, swinging his staff just in time to deflect another wave of icicles.

In spite of whipping so fast and furious he almost seemed to be surrounded by a golden rain, Satoru still managed a jingle out to them.

"I know! I know!" Jiro answered. "So Nobuyuki's going to have to give me some breathing room!" Turning his head as he blasted a snowbeast with a stream of cold air to cut off its "ice arrows", he called out to the yokai currently almost under a dogpile of snowmen, yet still holding on.

"Nobuyuki! I think it's time you started using your swords!"

"Ugh…truly?" The man somehow called back at the battle turned less and less in his favor, the monsters beating on him more and more with their armored fists. "Hate to show it off…"

As Jiro was forced to start flying to evade another stream of ice darts, and Takeshi had to make more holes pop up before Akiko to keep her from getting smashed by the incoming snow ogres, not to mention Satoru was having to lash out more quickly and erratically to fend off the "flood" coming at him, he shouted back. "_Now_ isn't a good time?"

"Heh…you have a point!" The man answered as another snowman jumped on top of him, forcing him down to the ground. For a moment, Akiko, going for her only "defense", another snowball, let out a gasp on seeing Nobuyuki in spite of the situation with everyone else. She thought for sure that he was in trouble after that, that the monsters had gotten the better of him…

Yet a moment later, she got a much greater shock when eight of the snow monsters seemed to "explode" off of him and go flying in all directions. An even bigger shock followed at what rose up from the ground.

Nobuyuki was "gone"…or, at least, "replaced". What stood up from the snow bearing only bits of the loose red and black kimono he wore before was a hulking monstrosity that looked somewhat of a cross between a bear and a man with a long white beard, just like Nobuyuki's. Akiko had never seen a bear before, but Jiro knew that even by bear standards the man was colossal, standing twice as tall as his previous form, which now made him bigger than his opponents by a good margin, and rippling with so much muscle that in spite of his thick fur you could make out several of them. Yet in spite of all of this, as well as the fact that its eyes were glowing like red, burning coals and his tooth-filled mouth was dripping drool ravenously, the long-clawed hands he had were still hands and not paws, and he proceeded to reach down for his side and draw both blades. A moment later, the two swords which before had been useless to him were now easily dual wielded. Bellowing a cry that echoed up and down the snowy pass for miles, Nobuyuki rushed forward into the ice warriors.

With each slash of his sword, he seemed both to rip them to bits as well as "shatter" them, breaking over half of their bodies into white powder. The monstrous bear struck again and again, fast as well as terribly strong, and no snow ogre could stand against him. Even when one managed to land a blow on him, it didn't even make Nobuyuki's form flinch. He had been formidable enough before…but now he seemed invincible as he smashed aside the ogres as if they were nothing more than flimsy stacks of snow. Between him and Satoru, they began to shift the tide back in their favor, especially since the snow ogres finally stopped coming. While the ones Nobuyuki shattered began to rebuild, they did so only extremely slowly from that much trauma…giving Takara enough room to move in and hit more in the teeth with her jitte.

Jiro actually grinned a bit as the snow beasts attacking him thin out to try and stop the rampaging Jolly Bear. It had been a while since he had seen Nobuyuki in that form. After all, it was senseless to fight any human opponents like that. But he couldn't just sit around and watch the fun. Immediately, he turned his head forward to the storm, trying to find the most likely area the flakes were "blowing in" from. Once he had a heading, he took off like a shot.

Where before Jiro had flown around quickly only when dealing with foes, at this point he moved as fast as the most raging blizzard imaginable, venting his full power of flight. It was rather impressive. Perhaps not as fast as the fastest falcons, but not bad at all. In moments, it enabled him to get a full overview of the battlefield before shooting further on into the snow and letting them all vanish behind him. His eyes then went fully forward, focusing on the source of the snow, and flying straight at it with his staff out and at the ready. In no time at all, the weather began to pick up, the storm becoming more biting and fierce. Nothing to him, naturally…but he could guess that this was the kind of temperature that Nakamura's men had gone through, and for a mortal it would be brutal. For him, however, it was merely refreshing.

_Watch out, lady…I'm coming to get you!_ He thought with a grin.

As he went on further and further, the snow continued to grow thicker, getting closer to a whiteout condition. His visibility went to 25 yards…and then fifteen. Not too terribly good for him. After all, he may have been immune to cold, but his senses were only as good as the next man. Still, he could see the flakes and feel the wind. And although it soon was getting hard to push against, enough to where the force required him to fight pretty hard against it, he was able to keep tracing it, and forced himself to shove through it.

As time passed, however, he did get one other concern. This was taking longer than he thought. He supposed it only figured… If Lady Eiko was progressively freezing the entire country, then her power had to have quite a range on it. He had to be a couple miles away from the group…perhaps even farther. In fact, the more he flew on, the more he began to wonder if he had been mistaken. He didn't seem to be getting very close to anything. Perhaps he was wrong about the way she generated her power all along…

That line of thinking was abruptly aborted a moment later, however…for the snow suddenly broke ahead of him. Not so much broke…as traced itself up and to the sky. The rest of the air became clearer. Although it was still gray-skied, the snow decreased, and in response, with wind suddenly broken off, he found himself flying full force only a small rocky mound covered with snow…and a figure perched on top of it.

He barely had time to recognize who or what it was. In fact, he merely gasped at first to see himself flying straight for it. The figure, likewise, must have seen the same. He caught a brief glimpse of arms in the air…but they quickly cut off a moment later to the tune of a mild cry, before a hand was aimed at him. In a "panic" move…he suddenly saw an irregular globe of ice the size of him sail straight for him. He had been trying to slow himself down by now, but it was too late as he smashed into it.

The blow was more than a bit solid. He barely managed to get his head up before the object broke against him, smacking him out of the sky and batting him away a short distance before letting him fall to the ground and land in the fresh, powdery snow. His body radiated with pain, and dizziness and soreness flooded through him. He groaned…realizing that wasn't exactly the softest hit he had ever taken…and that if he wasn't a supernatural creature it might have done some serious damage. Nevertheless, he grit his teeth and, with a nimble flip, forced himself out of the snow and back on his feet, staff in front of him. He looked up to his attacker.

To be honest, although the snow had lessened, it was still raging enough that he couldn't get a good look at it, especially after having just been dazzled by the ice sphere. However, he managed to catch a glimpse of what looked like a young woman's form. A bit to his surprise, although he had seen it on Akiko's doll, her hair was almost white blond, with some of its swept back and the rest in a loose braid. Far from being a "tight" hairstyle of the nobility, it was something more loose and carefree although still official. As for her attire, it was a light blue kimono that, even in the dim light, seemed to shimmer as if it was made of pure ice itself… Jiro actually wondered if it _was_.

_That's a neat trick… I never could do that myself…_

Yet he didn't have much time to admire her form, because, naturally, he had been a young man looking like he was lined with frost attacking her a moment ago…and so she did what anyone else would do, it appeared. She fought back. Quickly, she snapped her hand out at him. In response, pillars of ice like spear shafts formed in the air and shot out for him in a flash. Jiro actually went wide-eyed. He wasn't used to seeing someone _else _would could do that…and better than him, for that matter. Immediately, he spun his staff in front of him and whipped it around in a circle, throwing up an ice energy "shield" to quickly shatter them as they came in.

"Not bad for an amateur!" He shouted back. "But let's see how you deal against a seasoned pro!"

In a flash, his staff went out, and immediately turned the snow beneath the woman into a sheet of ice. She gave out a cry in response, and splayed her arms out, beginning to fall back. Grinning, Jiro immediately took off, intending to seize on her while she was flailing and knock her out with one blow. Yet halfway to her, he got another surprise as she suddenly gained her footing and faced him. He realized too late that it seemed the woman was a fast learner…that she used her own power over ice to make her footwear "merge" with the ice and hold her ground. Before he could get to her, she was already up and aiming her hand at him…and a second later an "inverted deluge" of snow erupted from the ground, swept over him, and, to his shock, launched him high and up into the sky to the tune of a rather painful impact.

However, Jiro only went up for a few moments before, gritting his teeth, he pushed himself out of the snowy deluge and began to sweep back down and around in an arc, meaning to sail in a "grand C" that would let him evade the woman and then smash into her. To aid this, he actually stayed behind the deluge of snow as it went up, meaning to use it for natural cover as he went down and around. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The woman still caught a glimpse of him as he went underneath her deluge. And as a result, she acted again. This time, the wind and snow suddenly picked up, and a blizzard-like gale lashed out at Jiro so fast and so quick he was knocked out of the sky and down to the ground at an angle. He was stunned at the whole thing…the power that the woman had unleashed in an instant. Yet he got another shock later when the woman waved her hand again and generated a rather solid ice wall before he hit the ground…proceeding to smash him into it with enough force to fracture it. A jarring pain flowed through him.

_Yeah…definitely good for an amateur. She's getting the hang of this quick… Time to think smarter._

The woman held a moment after hitting him against the ice wall, for he grunted and then slid down, seeming to be stunned. She kept a hand up and aimed at him, as if expecting him to make a move. However, her gaze was so much on him that she failed to notice the end of his staff light up…and some of the falling snow near her head literally formed a snowball in thin air. By the time she noticed something and turned her eyes to it, the snowball crashed in her face, getting her right in the eyes. Crying out, she pulled her hand back and went for her face to clear it…giving Jiro the opening he needed to grin and then take off again, soon once more in the air.

She was only stunned a moment before she opened her eyes again and saw him moving. She put her hands out…only for Jiro to instantly paste her in the face with another snowball. She cried out again and quickly cleared it, intending to fire again, only to once again get hit. The Laughing Frost was soon casually flying around, one hand generating one snowball after another before his staff in his other hand sent it flying into her face. It seemed she not only had issues with focus, but she needed her hands for the bulk of her powers. With that in mind, he suddenly swung his staff out again right after hitting her with another snowball, causing the very snow and ice underneath her to act like a "rug". This time, she couldn't stop herself and cried out before she was spilled back and dumped on the ground.

If this woman was wearing a kimono of ice, then it was obvious that she wasn't affected by cold. Too bad…because an easy way to end this right now would have been to cover her with a thick "blanket" of snow and let her body temperature plunge knock her out. As it was, he began to fly inward instead to hopefully give her a blow to the head. Unfortunately, no such luck. As he tried to fly in, great spikes of ice erupted around her body, each one lined with more spikes in a "fractal" pattern. He was forced to abort his charge and fly back and around, giving the woman enough time to rise again. Quickly, Jiro tried to back up to resume with the snowballs once more…but no such luck this time. She was protected by the palisde so that he couldn't get a good shot. Not only that, but she was quickly whipping up something herself. A moment later, the ice broke…just in time to reveal her sweeping her hands around until she formed what looked like a glowing ball of cold in the midst of them. A moment later, she flung the sphere right at Jiro. The young man answered by easily flying out of the way…only for it to actually _detonate_ where he was a moment later, sending out what looked like an "ice explosion" in the form of a massive three-dimensional snowflake. The force of the power sent him up and to the sky, to say nothing of pain radiating through him. If he had been mortal, he'd probably have frostbite too.

He tried to right himself as fast as he could…only to see that the woman wasn't wasting time, and was sending another one of those things at him. He barely managed to get his bearings and shield himself before the blast hit him, and even then he was wracked with pain yet again as he shot back through the air once more, sent hurtling even farther away

"Starting to think we got off on the wrong foot…" He moaned through the pain.

The woman soon shot off a third ice "bomb" at him…but she again failed to account for Jiro playing possum. When this one came for him this time, his staff lit up once more, and he abruptly halted himself in midair and swung his staff, smacking it and sending it right back at her. She barely had time to give a cry before she quickly recoiled, putting a wall of ice up around herself seemingly by instinct. Nevertheless, the force of the eruption a moment later shattered the wall and ripped her back off of her feet, flinging her back to the ground.

_This is getting a bit serious…_ Jiro thought. He was going to have some nasty bruises from that last one…and he actually had a cut or two on his bare skin. He decided to escalate a bit more himself. Still in midair, he aimed his weapon down, zeroing in on the woman even as she tried to get to her feet, clearly stunned and maybe a bit hurt herself. He thought for a moment of the right amount of power to use. Too much and this could easily kill her, after all. Normally considering how much he had been beat around he wouldn't care…but Akiko would be upset… Still, he had to be careful. This woman's body wasn't as durable as his, it seemed…

A moment later, the staff blazed…and then sent out what could only be described as a pillar of "frosty light". The young man wasn't sure how it worked himself, only that he rarely had the need to use it. While his energy was used mostly just for freezing things, apparently the power within him could be condensed to be a beam of magical force itself…and he had seen in the past in a training experiment that at maximum power he could actually knock Nobuyuki in bear form to the ground with it. Of course, doing so would leave him drained, but he wasn't going nearly that strong this time. Not for one mortal. As the woman got up, he barely managed to see her reacting through the glow of the beam before it slammed into her.

He intended to see her body get knocked loose and go flying from the impact. Since she was apparently immune to cold herself, he didn't have to worry about her freezing from this. However…he didn't see anything go flying. It remained there. He continued to shoot the beam, and looked confused for a moment…before, in the midst of the energy, he saw an array of ice-like spikes spill out around it…and begin to come closer as his attack started to "shorten".

Jiro's eyes widened a bit…failing to notice opposite him, the woman had never been hit. She was back on her feet, her face tightened, and both of her hands aimed at him. In response, a bit to his shock, a wave of cold energy just like his was coming forth…only, once again, _stronger_. Yet what made it worse a moment later was when the woman gave another shout…and suddenly her power _doubled._ The wave overroad his beam and went right back at him. The young man didn't even have time to bring out any more of his potential before he found himself being slammed by his own attack in the most painful blow yet, knocking his senses for a loop and wracking his body with pain.

A moment later, he slammed into the snow yet again, sore all over and groaning. That…had gone rather badly. While the woman was inexperienced and fought mostly with "raw power" and instinct, he realized in terms of strength she had him totally outclassed. If he made any move which came to "his power vs. hers", she'd overwhelm him every time. The only way to win would be to "chip away" at her using speed and agility, but that could take forever…and he had made the mistake of making himself an easy target too much already, letting himself get beaten into weakness…

He grunted and grasped his staff again, leaning up…and immediately stopped moving. A series of icicles were now growing around him out of the ground…with their points aimed right for his neck and heart in multiple places. He actually went a bit wide-eyed. After halting a moment, he looked up.

The woman was approaching him, her hands aimed at him. He could hear ice crackling in the air. He knew only a thought from her would send the ice traveling into him.

_Great…now what? _He asked himself. _Maybe I can get out of this…but even if I do, this could take forever. She's pretty deadly… And I don't think I could win without killing her either. Even if Eiko wasn't around…she actually used _my_ attack. Now I _really_ want to know more about her…_

_It may not be my style…but maybe it's time for a different tactic…_

With that in mind, Jiro eased up, and gave a smile as he held his staff up simply…making sure to only lift it slowly so she didn't see it as hostile.

"Alright…alright…you made your point, um…" He eyed the icicles. "Literally. You win. I give up."

The only answer was for the icicles to extend enough to touch his skin.

"Hey, hey!" He instantly called out. "I'm serious! You beat me! I'm done! I'm just raising this staff to surrender! You wouldn't kill someone who wasn't fighting back, would you?"

The word "kill" seemed to strike a note, because even saying that word made the icicle on his neck retreat slightly. That was a bit intriguing… Seems the woman reacted rather strongly to the idea of killing someone, even though she had already killed several. At any rate, she only paused in her step a moment, and then kept coming forward. As she did, the snow began to clear further. Not only that, but the gray skies overhead began to thin out…so quickly it almost happened before Jiro's eyes. As the snowfall halted and he had a chance to recover, he finally got a good look at the woman's face.

She vaguely seemed to be the same "shape" as Akiko's, but there was more to it than that. For one, it was unnaturally pale and fair complexioned. It was the middle of summer and should have been redder, but her face was so light it seemed as if the winter had come just to suit her look. It was also "harder". Not to the point of being cold and heartless. More like, unlike Akiko, hardened by misfortune and dark thoughts and experiences. It definitely looked wiser…and older. Much older. She had to only be three years older than Akiko, but the sign of wear and care made her look closer to 40. At any rate, her own blue eyes were focused hard on Jiro, her lips turned just a bit downward, and one of her hands with fingers extended remained aimed at him.

In spite of her threatening look…Jiro had quite a different reaction.

His smile actually faded momentarily, and his eyes widened a bit more, looking at her. She was a beautiful woman, to be sure. And more than that besides. Unlike so many other noblewomen, just looking at her…he could tell she was not simply a pretty face. She had an air of 'regality' about her…a power and wisdom the same as any other male ruler. He could tell why she had ended up being such a good ruler. She radiated "true nobility" from every part of her body and features, even without her inner power.

Yet it was more even than that. Seeing her face…he felt something inside him. Something he couldn't explain in the least and had no idea where it had originated…

And yet, it made him feel…happy.

Happier than he had been in a long time.

He almost went starry eyed, but it seemed the woman didn't notice it as her eyes narrowed.

"…You have power like mine."

The words, the first he had heard from her, actually sounded like he had heard them before… Maybe not the actual words so much as the voice, though. At any rate, it shook him out of it.

"I heard of ronin who were yokai before…" The woman continued. "You're one of them, aren't you? You were brought in by the nobles at Arender-ken to kill me, weren't you?" Her brow creased, and the ice grew sharper again. "Where are the rest?"

"Whoa, whoa!" He immediately shouted. "Easy there! I told you I wasn't going to fight you anymore!"

"I'm supposed to believe an assassin?" The woman answered. "Where are the others? I won't ask you again…"

"Gone, alright? Gone!" Jiro instantly lied, and did so flawlessly. "You think even yokai can stand up to this? You practically froze them all to death. I'm the only one who can even survive up here."

The woman was silent for a moment. After a short while, she held out her other hand.

"Your staff."

Jiro's smile blanched a bit. "Er…excuse me?"

"Give me your staff. If you've really 'surrendered', you don't need it anyway. But I'm not going to let you have it around me so you can try and shoot me with that beam again."

The Laughing Frost wanted to facepalm. If she had any doubts that he needed that staff to focus his power and fly, they had to have been dashed after that last move. He had practically advertised the source of most of his power. Now_ this_ was something he was reluctant to do. Without his staff, he barely had any powers at all that were useful, and he couldn't focus them. Nevertheless, the woman meant business…and since he had shifted to trying to gain her trust long enough to find a weakness, he compiled. Sighing, he slowly shifted his staff to one hand and then passed it out through the ice crystals, rather delicately, to her.

She took it and immediately put it to her side. A moment later, the icicles backed off, although her hand remained aimed at him. He was free to move a bit more. He took the moment to lean down a bit and smile a bit more at her.

"So…you're the great 'Queen Eiko'? You're a bit more than I expected. It's a pleasure."

"How many assassins did they bring in to kill me?" The woman, Eiko, immediately asked, cutting him off. "What are their powers? Are there any more that can use ice like you?"

"Nope. Like I said, you nearly killed them with that storm of yours, so they all headed home." Jiro answered. "I'm the only one who came this far. I'm the only one who could, after all…"

He began to pray mentally right then and there that the big snow ogres couldn't do any more than roar or that Eiko didn't have some sort of "psychic link" to them that allowed her to see what they saw, or when his story fell through he realized he was going to be in big trouble… At any rate, for now, at least, Eiko seemed to believe him. She thought over it a moment, but in the end calmed.

"…And what about you?" She asked; her voice firm…but showing just a hint of curiosity. "Your power…how did you get it?"

"Me? I'm just a harmless little ice yokai, or something…" Jiro answered as he casually crossed his arms behind his head.

"Harmless?" Eiko echoed, her teeth gritting a bit. "You tried to _kill_ me just now."

"Hey, hey…_you're_ the one who said I was an assassin. I merely said we came up here." Jiro answered with a shrug. "We just came to tell you to stop your 'winterizing' and come back to Arender-ken castle to answer for murdering Lord Taguchi."

Almost immediately, he saw an emotional change on her face, going from angry to defensive.

"I didn't-"

However, she cut herself off a moment later, and went back to firm once again.

"…I'm not going back to Arender-ken. Not now, not ever, and not even if the emperor himself ordered me to."

"Heh, well…" Jiro answered. "I'm afraid that the shogun's men aren't going to take that as an answer."

"I'm not going to let them have 'input' on the issue." Eiko answered. "I'm staying here…away from as many people as possible so that no one else gets hurt."

"Oh!" Jiro spoke up, turning his head. "So you _did_ kill those men?"

The woman paled at this. "What? N-No!" She instantly responded, actually cringing a bit as she went defensive. However, a moment later, she shook her head and resumed her look. "Look, just…just get out of here… Stay away from me. And don't try to attack me again or I won't be held responsible for what happens to you…" She turned and started to walk away, still clutching his staff.

"Um, any chance I can get that back?" He said as he actually took a step after her. By now, the sky was clearing so much that bits of sunlight were actually starting to come down, leaving a clear landscape. He took a moment to look over his shoulder…and, to his surprise, he was in a rocky set of snow-coated mountains that he didn't recognize. No sign of the others. He had to have flown ten or twenty miles… "I kind of need it."

"Make another one." Eiko answered without turning.

He chuckled. "Wow, you make that sound so easy…" He began to walk after her.

In a snap, she turned around and aimed her hand at him.

"Hey!" He retorted, stopping and putting his hands up. "How many times do I have to tell you I gave up?"

"You were dispatched to either kill me or bring me back…and I don't care for either." Eiko answered. "Stay away from me."

"What am I going to do without my staff?" Jiro answered with a shrug.

"I'm dangerous." Eiko responded. "You saw that yourself."

"Heh…I'm not about to be scared of a little 'snow'. Or haven't you noticed?" He pulled his outer robe and shook it a bit, showing off the bare chest underneath. "See? Cold doesn't bother me one bit. In fact…since I can't take you back, and they plan to brand me a criminal if I come back without you, then I don't have much reason to go back at all."

Eiko's eyes had drifted when he shook his robe a bit, toward his chest…but they quickly blinked and went back up to his face with the same stern look.

"A guy like me could use a little trip through a winter wonderland." He said with a shrug. "How about it? Care to show me about your kingdom, Lady 'Snow Queen'?"

The woman merely frowned in response. "I'm not a fool. You're just trying to get close to me to either attack me or convince me to go back. Neither will succeed."

"And why would they? You have my only weapon, and I can tell you're _much_ too smart to be tricked." He said with a smile.

"Then why bother following me?"

"Like I said…I love a nice winter. Besides, you could use some company, couldn't you? Who are you going to talk to up around here anyway? Rocks?"

Jiro smiled inwardly as he realized he found a weakness in Eiko. When he talked about company and talking, he saw the look in her eye soften. It seemed the woman may have run off, but wasn't the type who liked "solitude". She wanted someone to speak with…to give her some companionship. In fact, he began to think that might be a bigger weakness than he originally thought. Akiko mentioned earlier how she always withdrew herself… Maybe it was against her will…

Finally, she sighed. Frowning again, she made a gesture with her hand.

Jiro soon made a bit of a gulp as, to his surprise, a collar of ice as well as manacles and shackles appeared, and thick ice chains connected them all before tracing back to Eiko's hand, at which point she simply took the chain and gave it a big of a tug.

"Start walking."

Jiro was pulled forward a bit, although he was strong enough to stand his ground if he wanted. He rolled his eyes and groaned. "Oh, come on!"

"You're free to walk back to Arender-ken and have it melt off of your body." Eiko answered without turning.

This made Jiro raise an eyebrow. _Back to Arender-ken… Wait…she doesn't know what's going on, does she?_

But before he could think any more on this, he was yanked along on the chain and forced to go after her, further through the snow and up the mountain.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	5. The Hime and the Yokai

The fighting hadn't lessened when Jiro had flown off. In spite of Nobuyuki venting his full wrath, the giant snow ogres had continued their ruthless assault. True, they tried to back off from him and Satoru, and when Takara struck them she seemed to do "lasting" damage that kept them down for an extended period, but they still didn't stop. They fought smarter, backing off from Nobuyuki and hitting him with more of those small spears, or attacking him from exposed sides, or rearranging their tactics in other ways to try and minimize damage. Some of them even took up leaping and lunging at the two. They managed to keep them at bay, but the fight only very slowly went in their favor. They could have easily been battling for another thirty minutes.

Yet suddenly, the storm broke. And when it did, the monsters stopped. That was when Satoru used the distraction to implement his "trump card", quickly using the moment to spread more of his "moth dust" over the entire collection of snow ogres. While they may have been immune to pain, they were at least somewhat "sentient"…and as such a quick trick of magic made them all believe they had won the fight and killed them all. A moment later, instead of renewing the assault, they turned and stomped away slowly. By the time the last of the clouds faded, leaving behind a rather clear, if not deeply cold, sky behind, there weren't even echoes left…just massive footprints of the various snowmen as they went further back and up the mountain.

"…That was a bit stressful." Takara mentioned as she landed, folding her wings again.

Nobuyuki answered by dropping down to all fours, grunting, straining, and then beginning to revert. His extra fur sank back into his skin along with his muscles, his size began to contract, his shreds of clothing grew large enough to fit him again, and his animal features began more human again. Yet even as he changed, Akiko ventured forward a bit, finally discarding a spare snowball she had held onto, and looked around.

"So…did we finally scare them off? Make them realize they bit off more than they could chew?"

"Hardly." Takeshi answered as he adjusted his own torn clothing and slipped his kunai back to his side. "Satoru just used his power on them. It'll work for another couple hours…then they may come back for more. Maybe they'll get 'called off' before then, though."

The Sand Moth, by this point, had blazed a small indentation in the snow for him to stand on, and he flicked his wrists to make his kusarigamas vanish into a poof of golden dust. He began to let out a tinkling noise afterward, pointing to the distance.

A moment later, Takara began to cringe. "That's a good point…" She started to look around nervously. "Where's Jiro? He didn't come back…"

Takeshi, in spite of all of his earlier chagrin at the "Laughing Frost", began to look about as well. But there was nothing to see. Nothing but clear skies and snow that had been uprooted and turned before them by the snow ogres. As Nobuyuki finished reverting into human form and looked up, he saw no more himself.

The Ghost Hare let out a curse. "Damned kenshusei… I _knew_ his cockiness was going to get him in trouble…"

"Now, now, hold on…" Nobuyuki spoke up, keeping his voice mellow…but still having a bit of unease on it for a change. "Just because he is not here doesn't mean things have gone badly. Perhaps he has already subdued the daimyo and is waiting for us to come to him to take her back."

"Yeah…" Takara threw in, also seeming nervous but throwing in her two cents. "Maybe he can't fly and carry her back…"

"Or maybe he's staining the snow red somewhere…" Takeshi muttered.

"Oh, relax!" Akiko piped up, beginning to move more toward the others now that the danger was gone. "I told you Eiko wouldn't hurt anyone."

"She already _killed_ several, my poor-short-term-memoried lady…" The Ghost Hare muttered.

"Still…we should get going." Akiko added. "If Jiro found her, then I want to make sure he doesn't hurt her…"

"Hurt _her?_" Takeshi echoed, going a bit wide-eyed. He gestured around. "Were you not paying attention a little while ago? Do you think just because those axes were blunt they couldn't have split our skulls?"

Akiko drew herself up. "I'm sure she was just trying to protect herself from more people like Nakamura's men."

Satoru gave another jingling sound, pointing around at the various snowdrifts.

"I have to admit…that _would _be incredible…" Nobuyuki muttered, before gesturing around. "Eiko is nowhere around. When Satoru used his magic, those snow monsters stomped off. That means she didn't need to be around to control them...that they had been independent minds. Even if she had been…heh…I would have been impressed by being able to control about thirty of them independently at once…yet I do not think that was the case. I believe she actually brought them to life."

That made both Takeshi and Takara go still, as well as Akiko blink.

"L…Life?" The noblewoman stated. "As in…'alive' life? Thoughts and feelings and everything?"

"But…but…" Takara began to say as she looked around, shivering a bit both from unease as well as cold and starting to walk to one side to get her cape and put it back over her wings. "That's…impossible. How could a mere mortal 'create life'? No onmyoji can do it…and no yokai, for that matter. Only a god could do something like that…" She paused almost immediately on saying that.

Takeshi himself was a bit more uncertain, and looked to Nobuyuki. "…Is that what you're trying to say, Nobuyuki? That we're not dealing with a woman with great magic power, but an actual _god_?"

The man grimaced a bit and scratched his head. "Not sure what I'm saying…only that this was no small feat… Possible that she simply summoned spirits into the snow to animate them, but…I've never seen the like…"

The hooded man seemed rather nervous now as he ran a hand through his hair and ears. "Gods preserve us all… If she can actually do all that, what if her power is growing? What if that's the only reason that she hasn't frozen the entire country yet? And why wouldn't she? She could turn this whole world into eternal winter and remake it the way she liked it…fill it with creatures that she could create…"

"Alright, stop it!" Akiko suddenly spoke up. Until now, she had been growing progressively more uneasy at everything she was hearing, her cheerful face ebbing a bit, and at this point she held up her hands in a stopping gesture. "Eiko isn't like that! Like any of it! And the longer we stay out here…the more I'm not liking hearing you all talk like this! So let's just…stop talking and get moving! The sooner we find her and Jiro, the better!"

The remaining members of the Jido no Hogu-sha picked up on Akiko's change in mood, although it was subtle. Clearly the continuous talk like this was starting to wear on her optimism. However, after a moment, Nobuyuki gave a shrug. "The lady is right. No sense thinking all 'doom and gloom' yet. These snow beasts retreated, so already things are looking up, yes?"

The others paused for a fraction of a second. However, before any of them could give a response, a different voice broke the silence.

"That's the spirit! I think the exact same way…always look on the bright side!"

The voice definitely didn't come from one of them, and so soon the five were looking around. It continued to talk as they did so. It sounded a tad on the "scatterbrained" side, full of youthful innocence and simplicity. The end result might have made it seem "dim-witted", but also pleasant-natured.

"Like me, for example. Sure, I could have been upset when one of those big guys didn't look where he was going and trampled me to bits, getting half of me stuck on the bottom of one guy's foot and half stuck on the other… But hey! At least I didn't have to walk out here! And look! The sky's clear and the powder is white and perfect as far as they eye can see! Oh…oh no, wait…sorry, my head was looking the wrong way. There's actually a lot of messed up spots right there and there…"

The five continued to look about for a moment, trying to figure out what was speaking. Yet as they did, small bits of snow…a pile here, a lump there, and a fragment or two there, began to pick themselves up out of the piles from the battle and started to move together, coalescing.

Satoru, being the closest to it, noticed first. He nearly made a tingling sound, but finally frowned instead and simply tapped the nearest individual, Takeshi, and then pointed. He turned, and immediately whipped his kunai out again. Nobuyuki, Takara, and Akiko soon followed, and as they did they saw another snowman rising from the fragments of snow that had been left behind. This one, however, didn't become as large and monstrous as his brethren. This one was far more "rudimentary", taking only the form of basic snow appendages and body parts like one would expect on a well-built snowman by children as he came together. By the time they all focused on it, he was just finished reassembling himself and standing tall. Although Takeshi kept his kunai naked, however, he immediately began to consider "backing off". The others tensed only a moment, before relaxing considerably as well. This was, after all, not nearly as bad as the previous ones.

This snowman was not only more "conventional", but was also shorter, only around three feet tall, and seemed disjointed and random enough to have been made by a small child. He was made simply out of snow and ice rather than having any sticks or coal for building material, but he still seemed innocent enough and had "living eyes". He merely stood there and smiled a moment at first, but then suddenly blinked and waved at them.

"Hello!"

Normally, this move would have made someone like Akiko, not as accustomed to "magic" and "odd situations" such as this, jump or cry out in alarm. But seeing as she had just seen a number of far more intimidating snowmen try to attack them, she stayed mostly calm.

"Oh…um…hello there." She said after a moment. She even hazarded a small smile.

"Sorry I didn't get here sooner." The snowman continued. "I ran all the way, but…yeah, you see my legs aren't nearly big as those guys." He drew his chest up and puffed with pride. "I'm here to warn you and everyone citizen of Arender-ken on behalf of Lady Eiko to stay off of Mount Shimo under pain of death!" He grinned cheerily after saying that, as if he had just proclaimed something wonderful.

The five were left a bit dumbfounded at that, before Takeshi scowled.

"…Are you trying to tell us that you're her 'messenger' sent to warn travelers away?"

The snowman nodded. "Uh-huh."

"…And that if they don't heed your warning, those bigger snowmen come out and attack them?"

"Uh-huh."

"So you need to give those warnings before people get too far?"

"Uh-huh."

Takeshi's grip tightened on his knife as his teeth began to bare. "…And you didn't?"

"Uh-huh."

A moment later, the kunai went flying in a spinning circle, and Takara grimaced while Akiko cupped her hands to her mouth in alarm before his head went flying off all together, landing on the ground at the snowman's own feet. He continued to smile even then, however, blinking a few times.

"…Did I suddenly shrink?" He asked after a moment. He blinked a few times, then looked up, seeing his body hovering over him. "Whoa…no one ever told me how fat I've been getting…"

Takeshi snorted as his knife returned to him…only to have one of his ears suddenly seized between Akiko's thumb and forefinger as she ran up behind him. He winced and instantly went rigid before he was yanked down to her level. The other ear flapped around wildly in response. Apparently, that was a big weakness. At any rate, she frowned at him for a moment before letting the ear go, then stomped right by him.

"What was that for?!" He snapped.

"For being so mean to a harmless, good-natured snowman!" Akiko retorted as she went right up to the strange being and bent down to pick up his head.

"Harmless?! Good-natured?! His 'big brothers' nearly killed us back there!" The Ghost Hare shot back as he rubbed his ear. "And didn't I say never to touch the ears?!"

"Hey now," Nobuyuki answered, moving up behind him and patting him on the shoulder. "Don't get into a shape that is bent out of its proper form. We're all alive, aren't we?"

"Besides, I don't think it was this one's fault." Takara added as she moved over, resisting the urge to fly and simply walking this time.

Akiko was a bit nervous to actually be "handling" this creature, wondering if it would have some sort of ill effect. However, in the end, she tentatively picked his head back off of the ground, moved it to the body, and let it drop back on.

"Ah…!" He cried at the drop, a bit of flakes flying from the impact, and his head sinking in slightly into his neck.

The noblewoman grimaced, drawing back and cupping a hand to her mouth again. "Oh! Sorry! Sorry! Are you alright?"

"Jsst…wnn…sccnd…" The snowman answered from his sunken mouth within his chest, before raising his stubbly limbs up to his head, giving a pull, and setting it back on his shoulders. "Ah! Phew! Makes breathing a lot easier…or…you know…it would if I had lungs and not just more snow…" He soon turned to her with a smile, spreading his arms wide. "Hi! I'm…I'm…"

The snowman paused, and then blinked a few times, crossing his arms and tapping his head.

"Er…darn it…who am I again? I think a few of those flakes that got loose when my head split up had something important…"

Akiko, on seeing the snowman was mostly alright, eased down again. Yet as he tried to think of an answer, she looked to him a bit more closely, and blinked a few times. The others saw this, and, slowly, they saw a light of recognition come over her face.

"…Osamu?" She asked after a moment, almost hesitantly, not so much guessing the snowman's name, as sounding like she genuinely knew him.

"Oh, that's it!" The snowman answered with a snap of his fingers. "Thanks!" He paused. "…Have we met before?"

"You sound like you actually know him, Akiko." Takara said as she walked in closer.

"Well…er…uh…kind of." The young woman answered with something of a shrug a moment later as she looked to them. "When I looked at him, I remembered years back when Eiko and I were really little…before…she started hiding away all the time…we'd both play outside during the winter, and there was this one snowman we'd make named 'Osamu'. And when I saw him just now…" She turned and looked again to him. "He looked just like him."

"Oh, so we _have_ met? Great!" Osamu answered. He stared blankly at her for a few moments with a vacant grin on his face, not moving. He blinked once. Twice. "…So who are you?"

The young woman, shaking her head, pointed to herself. "Oh! I'm Akiko." She turned and gestured nearby. "That's Takara-san…"

"Hello! Wait…do you only have one tooth? Oh…you poor creature…"

"Satoru-san…"

The golden-tinted man gave a wave and a tinkling sound…seeming to like that the snowman was more his height.

"Takeshi-san…"

"I've got my eye on you, snowball."

"And Nobuyuki-san."

"Hey there, little friend." He said afterward, bending down to put his massive body more on his level.

"Hi there!" Osamu answered. "Oh, that was really amazing a minute ago when you turned into a giant homicidal walking nightmare beast that ripped all in your path into shreds! I think you actually split me into a few additional pieces! Heh!"

The group was a bit confused at that off-the-wall response, but Takara gave a shrug to it. "Well…I think we can pretty much rule out that these constructs of Eiko can feel pain…at least from physical trauma." She held up her jitte a moment later. "It looks like I might be the only one who can actually do real 'pain damage' to them…"

"Oh, and if you get them or me too close to fire!" Osamu chimed in. "Eiko told us all to make sure we don't get close…which is, I don't know, a real bummer to me because I wouldn't mind spending a quiet evening at home curled up in front of a warm fire…"

Again, the five were confused.

"You…want to get close to fire?" Takara asked.

"Of course!" The snowman cheered. "I mean, winter is nice and all that…but I just love the idea of burning hot sun and sizzling warm beaches and fields full of flowers… Running around in them would cause me to at least lose a little of this extra weight, don't you think?"

"…Without a shadow of a doubt." Nobuyuki answered with a strange look, blinking at the comments he was hearing.

"Um, Osamu…" Takara began to say. "Dear? I think I need to tell you-"

Before she could get any further, Akiko suddenly reared up and put a hand over her mouth. She leaned to her ear and spoke in a whisper.

"Don't tell him that! It's nice to have a dream! He'll be devastated!"

Takara looked to her, blinking, as she slowly pulled her hand back. "But…he's going to have to find out eventually…"

"Bah." Nobuyuki answered. "Akiko's right. Winter only lasts a season. Why make him gloomy during it?"

Takeshi, however, was still focused on Osamu. "Wait…did you just tell us how to _kill_ you?"

Osamu turned and looked to him with a smile, which turned to confusion on seeing his puzzled reaction. "What? You didn't want to know?"

Akiko looked back to him. "Osamu…you said you were supposed to warn people away from Mount Shimo? Does that mean Eiko is there?"

"Oh yeah!" He answered. "Why?"

"We really need to go see her." Akiko answered. "She's freezing everything in Arender-ken right now…maybe everything in Japan. We have to get her to stop it. Could you take us there?"

"Sure! Wait…no!" Osamu responded, beginning to move only to stop in mid-step and then turn around again. "Eiko told me very clearly that she doesn't want anyone seeing her, especially people who want to kill her. She kind of has a 'thing' against people like that, or something… I don't see why. Heck, that guy over there," He pointed to Takeshi. "Wanted to kill me and he doesn't seem too bad."

"Oh," Akiko answered with an innocent smile and a shrug. "But none of us want to hurt Eiko!" She paused, and then gave everyone else a look that was a bit sharp. "…Isn't that right?"

"Uh, no, of course not!" Nobuyuki joined in.

"Er…nope! Sure don't!" Takara added.

Satoru rolled his eyes and jingled.

Takeshi frowned and muttered.

"…See?" Akiko concluded with a gesture. "Besides, I'm her sister. I'm sure she'd make an exception for me."

"Oh! You're her sister?" Osamu responded, suddenly alarmed by that. "Well, that's something else! Sure, no problem! Unless, you know, you're one of those people who's only pretending to be her sister to trick me into taking you to her so you can stab her in the back at the first opportunity."

Pause.

"…You're not, are you?"

Akiko blinked, and then shook her head. "Oh…no, of course not."

"Well then, no problem!" Osamu cheered, turning around and beginning to waddle in the direction of the other snowmen. "Right this way!"

"Wait a second…" Takeshi suddenly spoke up, causing him to stop and turn back. "She just told you she wasn't lying, and you immediately went with it?"

"Why not?" He answered, before his brow furrowed. "Unless…you were trying to trick me about trying to trick me. You weren't, were you?"

"Of course not!" Akiko answered as she got up, ready to move.

"Well then, no problem! Right this way!"

Takeshi grunted and slapped his hand in his face. "What if she was trying to trick you about _that_?"

"Huh? Wait…I guess that's true unless you were trying to trick me about trying to trick me about trying to trick me. You weren't, were you?"

Getting a little impatient at this point, Akiko groaned. "Of course not…"

"Well then, no problem! Right this way!"

Takeshi opened his mouth to speak again, before Nobuyuki lightly "clonked" him on the head with a large fist before moving to follow Akiko and Osamu.

"Give it a rest, or we shall be here all night…" He told him.

"Besides, don't get him to think about all that!" Takara chimed in as she went after them as well. "Who's side are you on, anyway?"

Takeshi groaned and reluctantly followed behind Satoru when he started to move. "This queen might be good at homicidal snow ogres, but she needs to put a bit more 'effort' into building sentries…"

* * *

Jiro was only dragged on by Eiko for a mile. After that, she came to a halt in front of what looked like a massive ornamented norimono of ice. It was open-covered and elaborate…definitely the kind of design and splendor that one would expect from someone on the level of the shogun or emperor, only made out of pure, perfect ice. It honestly attracted him a bit. However, it was set on the ground and awaiting her to enter. There were no individuals there to lift it or bear it, although he had a feeling he'd see that soon…

Sure enough, about thirty minutes later, the ground began to tremble again. Jiro turned and looked, and saw the collection of snow ogres stomping toward her. They didn't have a mark on them, having fully regenerated by then. They marched right up to Eiko and the carriage, filing around and looking to her obediently.

"…Where's Osamu?" She asked after a moment. Jiro noticed there was genuine concern on her voice.

**"****Too slow."** The one in the lead boomed in a voice that reminded Jiro of Nobuyuki's bear form. It actually made him recoil in a bit of surprise.

She sighed. "I hope he didn't get into anything… Was anyone else trying to climb the mountain?"

**"****Yes."**

Jiro was already pale skinned…which was good because he might have paled a bit more here. He sincerely hoped that his lie wasn't about to come back on his head, for Eiko still had his staff and he was at a disadvantage in the chains.

"Where are they now?"

**"****All dead."**

Jiro reacted again to that. What had that snow ogre just said? For a brief second, he thought the worst…that the rest of the Jido no Hogu-sha had been overwhelmed by them along with Akiko… However, he quickly got ahold of himself afterward. He had to think straight. Strong as they were, they couldn't have won… He looked over the snow ogres again. This time, he checked around their eyes and faces. It took a moment…but then he began to see hints of gold dust mixed in with their snow. He struggled not to sigh in relief at that…

However, something new soon commanded his attention.

Eiko's eyes almost immediately widened on hearing what the snow ogre said. And, in response, Jiro felt the air around her get cooler. Even if the temperature didn't impact him, he could at least tell there had been a change. Not only that, but the wind started to pick up. Loose snow began to blow a bit around her.

"Wh…what?" She exclaimed in shock. "I told you…don't kill anyone! I _ordered_ you only to drive people away! That's why I blunted your weapons!"

As she said this, Jiro noticed the sky darkened a bit…but only in the local area. Clouds began to form right above them, and they began to generate a few more flakes. As for Eiko, she grit her teeth and grabbed her forehead in frustration.

"Damnit! I don't want any more _death! _I don't want anyone else hurt!"

The snow and storm continued to pick up for a moment after that, making Jiro more and more intrigued. But even more so when even her beautiful norimono began to emit crinkling sounds, and, before his eyes, began to warp and twist, growing sharper in areas, losing the beauty and becoming more jagged and uneven…

_So…_ He thought to himself. _Her power is tied to her emotions… She can't control it when she loses control of herself… And from the looks of it, she's a ball of emotion too…_

However, a moment later, the snow ebbed, and the norimono partially reverted…but not completely. Letting out a pained whine, Eiko looked up and rubbed her temple, and then shook her head and began to head for the litter.

"Just…just get me out of here…" She told the snow ogre. "Take me home…away from Arender-ken and anyone else… Here."

At that, she practically threw her end of the chain behind her and toward one of the snow ogres. Before Jiro knew it, he was now being held by one of the snow monsters. And on seeing who it was, the creature gave him an angry look and a deep-throated growl…although he did no more. As for Eiko, looking tired and strained, she climbed into the carriage and sat in the chair, crossing Jiro's staff in front of her. In response, two of the snow ogres came forth, grabbed the poles on either end, and then hoisted it up. They began to bear Eiko along, moving perfectly even, toward the north and further up the mountains.

Soon, the other snow ogres followed. And when they did, they gave Jiro a sharp tug, making him gag and nearly stumble.

**"****Move, puny."**

* * *

They ended up walking for a good six hours. Jiro hated it. Even if the icy chains didn't freeze him, he detested the fact that he was forced to march and not be able to fly. After all, he usually was barefoot, and now was no exception. And the snow ogres weren't really concerned with being gentle with him, either. He spent most of the time trying to think of what he could say to the woman in the hand carriage, who stayed concealed behind an icy veil like any noblewoman might. Yet to be honest…he kept having feelings inside him that he couldn't explain…and they distracted him from saying anything for almost the whole trip.

That finally broke near the end, however, when they reached an expanse about mid-day. A deep chasm, long and far reaching, stretched between two mountain peaks…one being smaller than the other, and the opposite being tall and intimidating. Yet what really caught Jiro's eye was two massive, tall, intricate arches flanked either side, made completely of ice. They also had ice chains attached to drawbridges on either side, and when the "retinue" approached, Eiko drew back her curtain and waved her hand at them. In response, the chains extended and lowered the massive bridge of ice, and soon they were crossing it. Jiro, currently unable to fly, couldn't help but gulp a bit as they walked across, because only thin ice railings, every bit as clear and perfect as the rest of the carriage, protected them from a drop of several hundred feet into darkness. No one would ever find him even if he survived the fall… What made it worse was, once again, it grew rougher and uneven as they passed over it.

Once across to the other side, the retinue paused, and Eiko extended her hand behind her to raise the bridge. However…no response. She grit her teeth and focused harder…but the chains only pulled up a bit, locked, and then wavered up and down, before collapsing all together.

She groaned, forming another anxious look, before slumping into her carriage. When she spoke, her voice was more tense than before…even a tad fearful. "Destroy this side."

Two of the snow ogres grunted, nodded, and then turned and went over to the frame of the ice archway. Immediately, they began to smash their fists against it, pounding away again and again. It held for only a moment, before it started to fracture and break. Ice chains snapped soon after and whipped through the air, followed by a huge groaning. Not long after, the entire assembly bent and wavered, letting out even louder groans, and finally snapped all together and spilled over the edge, sinking into the dark chasm. Jiro winced again on hearing it crash on its way down, shattering even more, but soon the ogre with his chain pulled it again and made him move. He turned back forward, and saw Eiko was being carried onward.

"Seems your powers aren't exactly working as you hoped." He said after a time.

The snow ogre yanked his chain, nearly making him spill into the snow after that. **"Quiet."**

A sigh came from the carriage. "It's alright. I don't mind. I'd prefer something besides silence…"

Jiro, still grimacing from the yank, pulled himself up and moved his manacled hands to his neck to rub it. After a moment, he cracked it. "Yeah…" He went on. "You've got strength and power, no doubts there…but you've got no experience. You can't even get your power to do what you want it to do all the time, can you? You must have fought me mostly by instinct, didn't you?"

The voice sighed again. "Did you only want me to bring you along so you could insult me?"

Jiro shrugged. "I'm not insulting anything. Just making an observation." He paused a moment afterward, walking along, gradually whistling a few notes, and then finally looking back to the carriage. "I couldn't help notice that it really 'shook you up' when you heard your creations killed those intruders."

The Laughing Frost had a method to saying that…and it was soon confirmed. Parts of the carriage grew sharper yet. The sky overhead once again looked hazy for a moment…

"Why wouldn't I be?" Eiko's voice shot back a moment later. "You think I want to hurt people? You think I want to kill anyone? Why on Earth do you think I moved up here, where there aren't any people?"

"Fleeing the scene of the crime." Jiro answered with a shrug. "Escaping persecution. You _are_ wanted for murder, remember that…"

The sky suddenly darkened again, and a fierce wind whipped by momentarily as the curtain went aside and Eiko looked passionately out. "I did. Not. _Murder_. Anyone!" She spelled out.

Jiro stayed calm, tilting his head. "Really now. So how did Lord Taguchi and his retinue end up being food for the flies, hmm?"

The woman hesitated. She seemed to almost be quivering now. Her face tightened…clearly showing a great deal of fear. After a time, she exhaled, closed her eyes, bowed her head, and leaned back inside the carriage.

"…As much as you and everyone back in Arender-ken must hate my power…none of you hate it _nearly_ as much as I do. Some days I feel like I'd do anything to be rid of it…"

Jiro gave pause here, his calm, carefree look abating a bit. To be honest…that statement got a tad of his ire. He knew how great it was to have powers over cold and frost…everything it allowed him to do, all the freedom it gave him, and all the fun he could have with it. To see someone who had even more power, power even he was envious of, and talk about it like that as if it was something so unwanted… He couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. At any rate, Eiko continued.

"…I had these powers ever since I can remember…although they weren't much at first. The earliest I can remember I could put frost on things or make it snow around me. I had been doing it for a while, but that was the time when my parents found out, and I realized not everyone could do that… At first…" She sighed. "…They were afraid of me. They thought their daughter had been killed and replaced by a yuki-onna in the night." She grimaced. "…I still remember how scared they looked…how they stared at me as if they didn't know who I was…and how horrible that felt…"

She shook her head.

"They eventually realized it was me…and they warned me never to let anyone know about my power. They said I'd be accused of being a witch or demon and killed if I did. I didn't really understand at the time, but I obeyed. I kept it a secret for a while… But that was the time when I still played with my younger sister, Akiko. I guess we were like a lot of sisters…but it felt like a very good time to me. I loved to play with her. Wading in the stream, running up and down the halls playing one of our silly pretend games and driving the castle staff wild, getting up late in the night and raiding the kitchen…running around the gardens when the cherry blossoms were falling…" She smiled a bit wistfully here. "…It was like falling snow to me. But winter was my favorite season, because then I could use my power around her and she wouldn't know any better. Maybe I'd make some flurries or create a snow pile for her to jump in or coat a lake with ice so we could skate around on it. Akiko loved everything I did…never suspecting how I did it and too young to know any better… So much…that I started to doubt my parents. I thought maybe I could risk at least showing it to _her_…use it to make her happy and excited…

"So, one morning in the middle of a hotter summer, I got up earlier than her, closed the door and window to the room, and I filled it with snow. Some flat, some in drifts, but all what she liked to play in. I built a snowman for her and hung the nicest icicles I could make from the ceiling while molding ice around the walls. I wanted to see her surprise to see that I had made a winter's day for her indoors in her room. I worked on it for a solid hour…"

She paused again. Her smile vanished, and she again began to tremble as her head bowed once more.

"…As you probably guessed by now, I don't get cold. I never did. I have no idea what it's like…and at the time I had no idea anyone could even _get_ cold. But then I started to notice Akiko was shaking all over. The thin bedsheets for summer barely offered any protection. I shook her to try to get her to wake up and see what I had done…but she wouldn't." She trembled a bit more…the sky turning gray again, and flakes slowly beginning to fall. "I can still hear her teeth chattering…seeing her curled into a ball… I tried again and again to wake her up…but she wouldn't. So I ran to the door in spite of knowing how mad my parents would be and tried to open it…but I couldn't. The ice had gotten thicker…and it wasn't obeying me…

"I got scared. I pounded on the door for help. And as I did…the room grew colder and the ice thicker. I saw frost form on Akiko and she only shuddered more and more violently. My parents and the guards arrived, but they couldn't get the door open. They had to break it apart in the end…at which point my parents immediately ordered the guards away and went in alone. They got Akiko out, but…they had to treat her for cold and hypothermia in the middle of the hottest summer on record. It was almost impossible to hide, and still the rumors got out. The guards had glimpsed the ice inside the room, after all…and they knew we were in there…

"Father and mother were furious. They punished me severely for disobeying them…but more so for what I had nearly done. Father told me to my face…making me look him in the eye…that if I had been any other child in the world he would have killed me right then and there. They ordered me to start disciplining myself the way the castle samurai did, and told me that I would not be allowed to play around Akiko again until I learned to control my power. After that day, they made me move into a new room and have limited contact not only with her, but with everyone. If my power got out, it might not only hurt people…but it might doom the family, after all. If I was branded as a demon, then the entire house might suffer dishonor for it. The shogun might have ordered us all killed for 'harboring the witch'. I could not only hurt people with my power…but I might end up being the death of Akiko and the rest of my family… They said I had to stay shut-in until I learned to control my power and could be safe around others…"

She sighed. "…But I didn't 'become safer'. As my power grew, it only got worse. I started accidentally icing things over. Causing my room to freeze. I withdrew more and more as the years went on, trying to keep people from finding out about it and making sure no one was around to be hurt by it…but it only got more terrible… I grew _less_ able to control it over time. Since it spiked with my emotions…I tried to study to be emotionless all together. To live in a way where I never used it at all. But…"

She raised her hands and looked at them.

"…But it felt terrible. I always had to put on a 'mask'. I could never let anyone in or see who I was… I had to live as a fake and a recluse… But worst of all?" She closed her eyes. "…As much as I hate how much misery it brought me, as much as I wish sometimes I could be rid of it…it's a _part_ of me. Being forced not to use my power…it feels like I have two healthy, strong legs but I'm being told to use crutches. Like having a perfectly sound hand and keeping it bound in an iron glove. And the more I bottled it up inside me…the more I could swear it _wanted_ to get out…"

Jiro decided to interject here. "…Did you ever think for a moment, um, perhaps…your parents went about this the wrong way?"

Eiko's eyes opened and she snapped to him, almost looking angry. "How dare you! My parents were honorable and wise people! Have you seen how much Arender-ken prospered underneath them? How large it grew?"

"Yes…but the way I see it, it did even better under _you_…" Jiro answered. "Think that might mean you 'know better than them' in at least some things?"

The queen frowned. "You tell me that to my face…and call me a murderer at the same time?" She turned away again. "To answer your question…the night after I was officially made the daimyo for my region and received full authority, my sister…" She sighed. "…once again thinking everything was always going to 'come up cherries'…brought one of the nobles to me and asked me to consent to their marriage. She had known him for one evening! I took one look at him…recognized that he was the eighth son of another daimyo and wasn't looking to be the ruler of his own territory any time soon…saw how nice and pleasant and perfect he seemed…far _too_ nice, _too _pleasant, and _too_ perfect…seeming to have the 'best' answer for everything Akiko could ask and happening to love everything she loved…and I knew something wasn't right. But Akiko…she _always_ has to think the best will come from everything… She already saw herself living happily ever after with that man in a perfect fairy tale…and here I was 'ruining it'. We got in an argument, my emotion started to flare, which meant things were starting to get cold…so I stormed away from her and went into a separate room, trying to calm down…"

She slowly put her arms around herself as she leaned back into the carriage, as if hiding in it.

"When I looked out the window to Arender-ken…I heard something. Screaming. It sounded like pain…terror… And I heard someone shout for help. I looked for the source, and I saw a fire far in the distance, outside the walls and in the city. It was near the inlet, but…I knew almost all of the magistrates and citizens were celebrating the festival for my ascension. They weren't on fire duty, and I could see flames spreading. So…" She paused again, trembling a bit more. "…I used my power. I thought I'd drop an icy wind and blast of snow on the fire from this distance…put it out…and no one would be the wiser. But I was wrong. I had never tried anything of that magnitude, and I hadn't really used my power in years. Not only did half the countryside see the streak of icy blue energy come from the castle where I was…but I heard screams when it landed. Panic soon followed. The town criers and watchmen began to announce…that they were dead…impaled on ice…"

Her hands went up to her head as the snow went from flurries to a downfall.

"It looked like there was a fire out there! It did! I swear it did! Maybe I was too distraught… Maybe I wasn't thinking… But seeing them all around me… Growing fearful… Growing angry… Everything my parents warned me about…how they'd fear and hate me but, most of all, how I was dangerous…how I'd end up hurting people…even killing people…it came true that evening. It was too much. My power began to go wild. It came out in bursts from my hands and started freezing things in the room or making pillars of snow and ice… By the time they broke in…I spun around and accidently sent them flying when my power erupted from my hands toward the floor… I knew I was going to hurt more people…kill more people if I didn't run for it… So I did…

"Time and again I shouted at them to stay away from me. To stay clear. But they only grew angrier. Men started to draw their swords and come after me… Even if I didn't want to defend myself, I got so scared that my power erupted from my hands on instinct. Sometimes knocking them back…sometimes creating ice spikes that tried to impale them…"

"Did you hit any of them with a beam to the heart?"

The suddenly interruption caused Eiko's eyes to open up a bit, and she leaned up and looked out. "…What?"

"Did you hit any of them with a beam to the heart?" Jiro responded, innocently enough. Considering what he was hearing from Eiko, he hated to bring her 'more bad news'…but he figured he might as well. This was something important, after all.

After a moment, she blinked and shook her head. "No."

"Good. Don't do that. To anyone. _Ever_." He simply answered. He didn't want to elaborate. By now, there was a steady snowfall and an icy wind blowing around… He figured she was "stressed" enough as it was. "Itachitoko said you had the look of a demon about you. Like you were hurting as many people as you can when you ran."

Eiko was stunned. "No! That's a lie!" She paused on hearing what she just said, withdrawing a bit, but then firmed out. "Or…at least he's mistaken! I never wanted to hurt Lord Taguchi! I never wanted to hurt _anyone_! Don't you all see? _That's_ why I ran! I wasn't trying to escape my punishment! It was an accident, but a man died! I know I have to answer for that! But did you not hear what I did to the men trying to stop me when I ran? How badly I could hurt them? If I killed Lord Taguchi by accident when I was calm, how much more damage can I do to everyone else when I'm scared?"

She turned around again and slumped back into the carriage. "That's why I came up here. Here…surrounded by snow, ice, and cold…where I'm free to use my power as much as I want and there's no one to hurt or notice… To be honest…" She took in a deep breath. "…It feels _amazing_. Like there was a weight on my chest ever since I was little and it's coming off. I'm finally free…somewhere where I may be alone and in hiding…but at least I can be 'myself' and I can't hurt anyone else…"

Again, Jiro had to repress the urge to point out what was going on. Apparently, she still had the senses of a regular human being. And her power was so "instinctive" she had no idea what she was doing even now. He supposed what was happening was due to her "letting her power go"…but he doubted it. This was more of an effect, at least he believed, of her growing more fearful for her life and others. One thing was certain, however… He believed now without a doubt that Itachitoko had been either lying or mistaken. In spite of having just met her, he believed her story. The nice thing about this power of hers hinging on her emotions, it seemed, was that it acted as a perfect lie detector. She was genuinely distraught about what happened. That meant it had been an accident. That should please Akiko…assuming she could get anywhere near Eiko without her snow ogres tearing her apart.

He decided to change the subject. "The Hachiro guy didn't seem too bad… He actually cut us some slack. Didn't treat us like demons right off the bat… Even seemed to like me…"

"…Perhaps." Eiko said after a time. "But I know enough to not listen too much to people who always seem to only say things you enjoy hearing…"

"Heh…maybe you should try it for a bit." Jiro answered. "You seem to have mostly only been listening to people who tell you things that scare you to death…"

Eiko clammed up at this, not saying another word. The Laughing Frost groaned a bit at what he had done. He had to watch that… Now she wasn't talking at all. With nothing for it, he continued to march onward for the time being.

As it turned out, they didn't have to march too much further. A good thing too, because they ended up going rather steep. Although the cold, which had to be fatal to most humans now without heavy protection, didn't affect him at all, and he had enough stamina for the climb…the air thinness made him a bit dizzy with all of the exertion. He was looking forward to stopping soon. But before he could, they had yet another deadly path to tread. This time around a rocky ledge spiraling one of the topmost peaks. Again, it was a rather narrow pass…one so large that Eiko and her norimono could barely get through. But once on the other side, emerging into a high valley between this peak and the next that briefly flattened out, Jiro's jaw loosened as he stared in amazement.

A pagoda of ice stood beyond. Flawless…perfect…intricate…and beyond beautiful to a person like him who appreciated all things ice and snow. It stood only four levels tall and wasn't as spread out as Arender-ken castle, but its structure and ornamentation were far more sleek and elegant. It looked like a single, massive, flawless piece of crystal the way it had been constructed. In the light of day, it gleamed like an impossibly large diamond. Even if one disliked cold and snow, they would have been forced to be captivated by such a thing. So much more Jiro as he slowed his step to marvel at it.

After a moment, however, he cracked a grin and looked to the carriage. "Not exactly 'hiding out in a mountain cave', are we? How long did it take you to make that? Three…four days?"

Eiko paused a moment, then he saw her shake her head behind the curtain. "No. Only…about half a minute."

Jiro's jaw loosened again.

"Did…did you say 'half a minute'? You're not exaggerating on me, are you?"

"A few of the fine details took closer to an hour…things I didn't have in mind…" Eiko answered. "But yes…only about half a minute to build everything you see from here."

"I'm honestly impressed, my lady." Jiro said with a whistle as he looked it over.

He saw the woman shift behind the curtain. "Wh…what did you say?"

He snickered. "Well, you _are_ the queen of Arender-ken, right? I owe a pretty young noblewoman some respect, don't I?"

The woman hesitated a bit at that, but then merely let out a snort before easing back inside.

Soon, the retinue reached the front gates, which opened of their own accord on arrival. Most of the snowmen spread out, and the ones holding her carriage let it down for Eiko to dismount. The one yanking Jiro along gave him one last angry grunt, and then passed the chain back over to the daimyo. Once she had it in one hand and Jiro's staff in the other, she led him through the entryway and inside.

The interior was lovely too. It was the most picturesque castle that Jiro had ever dreamed of or encountered, only completely made of ice. Everything was ice. The walls, the screens, the floors, the décor (including sculptures made to look like bonsai trees), wall hangings, vases, and other articles. He imagined it had to be rather cold inside the interior, but there was no way to tell. Neither of them were affected by it. Their breath didn't even mist. There weren't many guards in here either. He saw two more of the armored snowmen standing as sentries, but then there were a great number of halls before getting to the stairs with nothing. He looked around quite a bit as they went along.

"Quite a lovely little abode you have here, my lady." He stated after a time. "But…heh…aren't you forgetting something? Like a kitchen…with food? Or even a place to sleep?"

"I don't need either of those." Eiko said as she walked along. "I thought I did…but I learned over the past few days that I never get hungry when I use my power. Or tired, for that matter. My body seems like it's 'frozen' in its current state."

"Well, even if you don't need it, wouldn't you like a good night's rest as much as the next person?"

"I can't afford to sleep now…if people are still trying to get to me. And _definitely_ not if they're sending people like you after me."

Jiro sighed. "Fine. How about a place to sit, at least? No one was carrying _me_ in a fancy litter."

The woman sighed in response. "…Just a bit further."

After a while, they came into some sort of "inner sanctum", or so Jiro supposed. It had nearly transparent ice doors leading in and out of it, and on stepping inside, he found an emblem of a massive snowflake on the ground and several "lampstands" of ice set up around it. Remarkably enough, they lit the interior. He wasn't sure how the tips were producing a gleam, but they had to be somehow.

This area had several naves on the sides of the chamber. Jiro grimaced yet again when Eiko moved over to one and place his staff in it. A moment later, she waved her hand and instantly encased it in solid ice. There was no way he could get it now. He needed it to focus his power to break that kind of ice, which meant he couldn't get it at all. Afterward, she put the end of the chain on the ground and, with another wave of her hand, iced it over to anchor it.

Once this was done, she got a good distance, then turned and crossed her arms.

"Alright." She stated. "I brought you here. You've seen my palace. Now what do you want?"

"What do you mean?" Jiro simply answered.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean." She answered. "The only reason you're here is to bring me back to Arender-ken, dead or alive."

"Hey, just because I'm 'hired muscle' doesn't mean I can't see things from your perspective." Jiro answered. "I can sympathize with you now that I know the whole story. Rather than worrying so much about me…how about worrying about yourself?"

Eiko looked a bit taken aback at that. "Excuse me?"

"I see you made yourself a nice little setup here." Jiro went on, trying to cross his hands behind his head…and then sighing and giving up when unable. "But you're not really fooling anyone. Sure, you may be 'free to be yourself' up here, but I don't think you made so many of those snow creatures just to protect yourself. Not after what you did back there when I fought you. Something tells me you want companions. Someone to talk to and to chat with. Something further tells me that's the major reason you brought me here rather than just didn't send me away when I asked."

The woman held a moment, but then frowned and crossed her arms, turning her head away from him.

"I won't say it will be 'easy'…but maybe you should get to work on how you're going to get back to Arender-ken." Jiro went on. "You can't stay up here forever. These snowmen aren't providing you the kind of company you want, are they? And I don't think you want to spend the rest of your life away from human contact…or your sister for that-"

Spikes suddenly came from the floor, forming and aiming themselves at Jiro's chest. Eiko looked up to him, eyes blazing.

"Leave Akiko _out _of this." She nearly sneered.

Jiro grimaced at the spikes for a moment, but then shrugged and looked back to her. "She's part of this whether you like it or not, because _you_ just abdicated the throne and left her in charge of Arender-ken. And as I've met your sister…you should know that's not a terribly good thing. If your suspicions are right about Hachiro…or you know her better than I do…then you should know she always sees the best in every situation. That's a good thing a lot of the time…but not always. Not if you're going to be a ruler. Not if you're going to have to decide to trust some and not trust others. She needs her older, more responsible, and wiser sister."

Eiko snorted. "You think I'm so much more 'responsible' and 'wiser'?"

"I _know_ you are."

The woman turned her head at that.

"I saw the decisions you made. You're not only shrewd and intelligent, but you're also generous, fair, and you understand people and their needs. You're better than almost any other daimyo I've seen. Your country did well under your father, but it did better under you. Your people need you too, my lady."

The woman merely sighed. "Need me? For what? To freeze families from the inside out next time I get upset? To scare children? To accidentally murder dignitaries?"

"Your sister needs you more than just for leadership and someone to show her along, too." Jiro went on, slowly stepping around the spikes. "Like I said, I met her…and she's worried sick about you."

This made Eiko's face soften a little.

"She's going to come out here after you, you know." Jiro continued, lying a bit for emphasis. She _would _be coming...just faster than she realized. "Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But she's going to try and get here. You should know that better than anyone. And when she does…are you going to greet her with those same 'guards'?"

The woman let out a small noise on hearing that…and a few flakes of snow began to gather around that. This was clearly something she hadn't thought of. She cupped a hand to her chest and looked to the floor, and the flawless ice around her feet grew more uneven as she did so.

"I…I have to tell them to lose the weapons…" She muttered aloud. "Not to hit…j-j-just push people back away… They're to do whatever they can to keep from killing…"

The Laughing Frost turned his head in confusion. "Wait…you're not going to 'call them off'? You're going to leave them in place? Even if they aren't armed, they could seriously hurt your sister, you know."

Another ripple of fear visibly went through Eiko…and a small wind began to whip around her in response. The unevenness of the ice began to spread. Cracks started to appear in the pure ice beneath her.

"Even if they only 'throw her down the mountain', they could break her legs or worse. And if she can't move, lying in the snow for hours, alone and far from help…that's a death sentence."

Now, an audible gasp came from Eiko. Distinct fear was in her eyes…and the crackling around her began to spread through the entire room. She swallowed, and then put a hand to her head and turned away, beginning to pace. She looked like she was desperately trying to think of something.

Jiro was noticing the changes. He supposed he should be enthused about it. If he kept this up, the cracks would spread to his staff and knock it loose…and Eiko would be too distraught to do anything about him knocking her out and putting an end to this. However…his normal mischievous self wasn't thinking of that right now. It couldn't, for some reason. He just noticed the ever growing fear that Eiko was in…and part of his heart actually softened to it. More than he thought it would.

"Look, it's really simple." Jiro said after a moment, trying to be calmer. "Call those snowpeople off. Then you won't have to worry about her getting hurt."

To this, the daimyo let out a large groan. "…Why won't you or anyone else _understand_?" She responded sharply, as the room began to grow small spikes and more cracks, the colors dimming in the ice candles. "The whole reason I'm even _here_ is to protect her! To protect everyone! So long as I'm here…so long as I'm alone…my power won't hurt anyone! I'll be free to use it however I like and it won't scare or kill anyone or anything!"

Jiro, by now, was hearing crackling all around him, and it was honestly making him a bit nervous. More flakes and wind were beginning to whip around Eiko by now. Her power was flaring again. He took a moment to look around a bit, and then back.

"'However you like it'… Something tells me, right now, you don't want your power to make this place go from clear as crystal to dark and deadly…"

Eiko paused again, a bit surprised at that answer, and looked around. She soon made an audible gasp as she saw what had happened to the chamber…and what was still happening to it. The changes progressed.

"Looks to me like you're not really learning much 'control' up here all by yourself." Jiro went on. "In fact, by now, I'm seeing that your power only does what you want part of the time. The rest of the time it comes out in spasms depending on whatever mood you're in. I will tell you _one_ thing you accomplished coming up here, though…you kept yourself from knowing what 'far reaching' powers you have."

The woman, still confused, drew herself up a bit. "What are you talking about?"

"You're pretty powerful, Lady Eiko…much more than you realize, I think." The young man went on. "So much so…that ever since you ran off from Arender-ken, you've been slowly making the entire nation of Japan sink into an eternal winter."

Now, the woman _really_ looked shocked.

"Wh…what?" She nearly exhaled. "That…that can't be… I've never had that kind of power…"

"Maybe just because you never tried." Jiro answered. "But it's true. The entire nation is getting unseasonably cool…and quickly turning cold. As for Arender-ken, by now it's probably snowing there. In a couple days it will start looking as covered as the road up here was. In less than a week it will be as frozen as these mountains, along with every village around it…and it will just keep going from there. Whatever 'method' you thought was going to help you control your power…it's really not working. It's kind of having the opposite effect…"

The woman looked progressively more and more horrified. And, in turn, the cracking grew along with the spikes around the room, forming cruel thin icicles jutting out of various spots. The floor grew more uneven as the crackling sound passed through the whole castle. She grasped her head in frustration and turned away, even as the snow around her continued to pick up along with the wind.

"This…this can't be… It can't be true!" She exclaimed. "Damnit…why?! Why was I born like this? Why is it the only thing I can do is _hurt people_?!"

Jiro, getting a bit nervous again as he looked around, turned back to her. "…I'm guessing you can't just snap your fingers and stop it, can you?"

"If you did, don't you think I would have the moment you told me?!" She snapped back at him, looking up, face streaked with pain, anxiety, and tension as the wind and snow continued to rise around her. "I've _never_ been able to just 'turn off' anything I've done! I've always had to wait for it to melt! But now…now I'm actually freezing _everything?_ Gods…I could kill everyone! Not just in Arender-ken…in all of Japan!"

As things continued to escalate, Jiro looked around a bit more, and then back to her. Slowly, he extended his hands. "Alright…alright, now that we have everything 'on the table', just calm down…"

She didn't even seem to hear him. She grasped her head again in frustration as she turned away. "It's always the same! Fear! Pain! Misery! Damn it…I'm so sick of being afraid! I'm so tired of never having control! Never being able to stop it! How can I do it now?! It doesn't want to 'go back inside' this time! It feels like it will tear me up if I try!"

Jiro began to walk forward. "Look…just take it easy…"

Eiko clenched her eyes tighter and held her hands up to the wall. However, even without looking, she could hear the result. Rather than smoothing anything out, it just made the cracks deepen, the ice grow more irregular. She cut it off a moment later and cried out in anger and anguish.

"Stop it! Just for once…_stop it when I tell you!_" She cried in futility. "It's my sister out there! I'll kill her and everyone else if I can't! Curse it…what do I have to do to stop this?! Kill myself?! Go to the ends of the Earth?! Live totally and completely al-"

Suddenly, Eiko felt someone behind her grabbing her shoulder. Before she could react, it yanked her around, and put her face-to-face with Jiro…whose earlier 'amusement' was gone and replaced with a fierce, stern look.

A moment later, a loud smack rang out through the entire chamber as, manipulating his bound arms, he slapped Eiko across the face.

_"__Calm down!"_

The sudden trauma was too much for her. The shock of it coming out of nowhere made Eiko freeze immediately, even if the slap had only been strong enough to cause some mild pain rather than knock her out. However…the shock was enough for the wind and snow around her to immediately die. She looked up again a moment later, honestly too surprised to even counter in spite of that move. However, Jiro's face hadn't changed, and he began to shout too now.

"Look at yourself! You're a total mess! You're nothing but a ball of emotions and fear! You're a smart woman, so haven't you understood by now that your power is tied to your emotions? The more you cry, the more you fret, the more you pace, and the more you keep working yourself up into despair, the less and less control your power is going to have! Get ahold of yourself!"

Eiko, by now, had recovered, and so she frowned and shot back. "That's easy for you to say, whoever or whatever you are! You have control over your power! I've hurt people with mine! I've _killed_ people with mine! And I can never 'make it cease'!"

"Be that as it may, you're only making it worse!" Jiro retorted. "For years all you've done is fear yourself! All you've done is be scared every waking moment of your life that you'd kill someone with your power! And you're proving right here and now the more afraid you get, the worse it becomes! So why not try being calm just for once?"

The woman scowled. "What do you think I've been _doing_? I'm trying not to feel any fear or any anxiety…but it's hard! When everything you do makes you scared, how can you not feel fear?"

Jiro, however, creased his brow at this.

"I didn't ask you at any point to 'not feel anything'. I asked you to 'calm down'." He answered a bit more quietly. "There's a difference between the two. The latter will help you control your power. The former will make it worse. Haven't you noticed?"

Eiko paused momentarily, and then her frown ebbed a bit, although it remained. Her own tone quieted. "What would you know about my power?"

The young man gave her a 'look'. "Um…hello? Yokai with power over cold here, remember? And since I have a few decades on you, I'd like to think I know a thing or two about how your power works."

The woman's frown continued to fade. After a time, she straightened a bit. She looked at him warily. However, for the first time…she also showed a bit of hopefulness in her eyes as she realized what he was saying.

"…Are you telling the truth?" She asked after a moment. "Can you _really_ show me how to control my power?"

"Possibly." Jiro answered. "It'll depend on you too. Plus there's no guarantees that my power works exactly like yours. Yet I don't see why it shouldn't. Of course…" He shifted a bit. "If I'm going to help you, I can't do it like this."

"What do you mean?"

The young man held up his manacles and chains. "I'm going to need full use of my body. I can't very well do much chained up like this."

Immediately, her brow furrowed. She shook her head. "No."

Jiro snickered at that. "Considering the fact that I just walked up right behind you a moment ago and slapped you across the face…you _still_ feel that I'm 'waiting for the right time' to kill you? Look…my lady, I honestly don't blame you for not trusting me considering how we 'met' today… But trust is a two-way street. I can't try to earn your trust without you giving me a chance."

The woman continued to hesitate. She still seemed to have strong reservations. While her desire to learn to control her power was almost desperate, she still had enough of her wits and common sense to not jump too eagerly at it. It was a rather huge decision for her, with temptation shaking her to her core on either side. She was genuinely torn…so Jiro decided to push her more in the right direction.

"Tell you what…give me five minutes free, and I bet you I can get you to turn this room back the way it was before. If I can't…the chains go back. Otherwise, they stay off. Five minutes. Deal?"

Eiko hesitated. It seemed she was impressed by the offer itself, and what it might mean for her…but at the same time, she was nervous about letting him loose. And, in truth, Jiro really _did_ want to get loose more than anything. However…he meant his claims as well. And in spite of how nonchalant he seemed about this…he felt an urge inside him to assist this woman. Who knew? Maybe doing that would help end everything sooner…although, with only a day and a half to go, he didn't have a whole lot of time to "dilly-dally"…

Finally, she made a decision. Holding up a hand, she moved her fingers…causing a key of ice to form in them. She handed it to Jiro afterward. He accepted it, and quickly undid all of his restraints…probably so fast that Eiko was actually a little surprised at his speed. At any rate, once he enjoyed a taste of freedom, he tossed the key aside (sure that Eiko would make another if she put the restraints back on), and then exhaled.

"Alright…first off, you have to put yourself in the proper mindset. You look at winter, and what do you see? You see death. You see pain. You see hurt. You see everything that's more exclusive to _you_ and your interpretation of things than anything else. And there _is_ a side to winter that brings death and hardship. But that's not because winter itself is 'evil'…it's simply because it's a part of nature. And everything in nature has sides that are good and sides that are bad.

"Winter is a time for silence…serenity…calmness…peace. It's every year's time to 'pause and think', you might say. The other three seasons the world is growing and reproducing and hunting full tilt…but when winter gets here, everything stops. Everything quiets down. Everything just seems a little more wondrous and magic and a little less routine. You have to get yourself in that line of thinking…seeing everything calmly, quietly, and easily."

Eiko groaned. "But how can I-"

She was cut off as Jiro held up a hand, stopping her.

"Calmly…quietly…easily…" He repeated, softer this time. "Forget Arender-ken. Forget the cold snap. Even forget Akiko for a little while. Just be at peace. Think of all the fresh snow out there, the quietness, the stillness…and try to be like that."

"But-"

When Eiko was cut off this time, she actually went wide-eyed…for Jiro leaned over and pressed two of his fingers lightly on her lips. To be honest…the Laughing Frost didn't know why he had done it. It just seemed the right things to do…to reach out and gently touch her lips. It actually made the daimyo turn a shade red for a moment, but Jiro managed to keep his composure and "recover".

"Calmly…" He repeated, even slower and softer. "Quietly… Easily… Picture a soft, gentle winter. Close your eyes."

She nearly said something again, but Jiro cut her off.

"Remember…I get five minutes. Close your eyes."

The queen recovered a bit in the next few moments, especially as the young man removed his hand from her lips. She held again afterward, clearly hesitant about this part, definitely starting to feel this might be a trick, but she didn't protest anymore. In the end, her desire to control her power was enough to make her chance it. After a short time, she slowly, reluctantly closed her eyes and stood still. She seemed rather rigid. Very tight…very tense…primed to do this and move on to the "next step", whatever it was.

"The most beautiful winter scene you can think of." Jiro went on, still softly. "The sky clear and the sun shining down, making everything glisten. The snow crisp, even, and fresh. The air quiet and still. One of those scenes where everything just looks so perfect that you don't want to go out in it because it'll ruin it…and yet, it's just so 'inviting' that it seems a crime to stay indoors…"

Eiko kept her eyes closed as Jiro slowly moved around behind her. He talked as he did so, letting her know which way he was going. However, she remained pretty tensed up. At this point, she spoke. "If you were only going to tell me what to do, then why did you need your hands-!"

The woman cut off with almost a cray as Jiro raised both of his hands and placed them on her shoulders, clearly getting a shiver…though not from cold. On the contrary, Jiro was happy that this was the first person he could recall touching without giving them a cold chill. Still, he spoke quickly, keeping his voice soft.

"It's alright. I'm not trying anything…" He said as he gave a firm yet gentle grip. Slowly, his hands began to move, making manipulations. A little trick he learned from Takara.

"What…what are you…"

"Ssh…stay focused, like I said."

The woman remained tense. After all, this wasn't a very safe position. But Jiro had a way with things at times like this. While villagers and children might be tense around him at times, even fearful, he had a way of "disarming" people. After all, _he_ was "like winter" at times himself. Calm…gentle…soft…and serene. He continued to move his hands, pushing them in and out, slowly manipulating the muscles, which were as tense and hard as rocks, practically. Eiko continued to hold, but slowly, as she realized he wasn't hurting her or trying anything, she gave way to a tremble instead. Jiro realized that she probably hadn't been touched like this in…ever, either due to her nobility or her power. To have a young man, at least physically, doing this… At any rate, she reluctantly closed her eyes again and let him work.

"Now…take long, slow, deep breaths…" He continued as he gently kept working. "Inhale in five…exhale in ten… Keep that image in mind. Imagine it flowing through you…from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet… Make your inhales and exhales last that long. Ready… Breathe in."

Eiko did as she was told, as he slowly felt her body start to ease.

"One…" He counted. "Two…three…four…five. And exhale…one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten. And inhale…one…two…three…four…five… And exhale…one…two…three…four…five…six…seven…eight…nine…ten…"

He kept counting for a while, and Eiko did as she was told, breathing in and breathing out. It took her a time or two to get herself in the right "pacing", but she managed to get it going properly. And as she did, and Jiro continued to work, he felt her rigidness and tension gradually melt away. After a while, he began to move his hands down her back. She trembled a bit at his new touch…but then slowly adjusted and let him keep working.

"Keep the image in mind…" He said as he went on. "Now…make yourself like that. Hold onto that image…let it 'move through you'… Don't stop breathing. Keep that up too. But start at the top of your head. Feel the crown of it…focus your attention on that…and then slowly start to move down. Take your time…move down…and start to feel the muscles in your face. Are you holding any tight? Move slowly through it…and if any are tight I want you to let them go. Relax them…let them go totally loose."

It took a few moments, but slowly, Eiko did so. It was likely she didn't realize how tense she was. Even not looking at her, he could tell her face alone relaxed.

"Now…move down to the neck…do the same. Think knotted ropes slowly underdoing themselves…"

Slowly, he felt her neck relax, not only due to her own tension, but also due to her not holding it tight. She actually breathed a bit more slowly now, seeming to not have realized how tight she had been holding it.

"Down to the shoulders…"

They slowly loosened as well, her arms hanging down lower. From there, they went on, moving slowly down her body, loosening each part a bit at a time. Slowly, Eiko stopped concentrating on breathing slower and just breathed slower. Jiro continued to speak in a soft, even soothing, voice and continued to work her muscles. He felt her relax more and more as time went on, until she practically was falling down right there. She may not have needed sleep, but Jiro could tell…she was exhausted. She had to have been running around continuously for this entire time, and growing more worried and fearful every waking second. For a moment, he thought she'd almost fall asleep standing up as he continued to work.

The five minutes came, and Eiko didn't even notice at this point. She was so focused, breathing slow, the image running through her mind, and easing into Jiro's massage that she seemed almost hypnotized. But at this point, Jiro slowly stopped, and then pulled his hands back and folded them in front of him. Eiko was left standing there, the pleasant sensation still pervading her and making her stand still a moment longer.

"Now…" Jiro said in a somewhat louder voice. "Open your eyes."

Eiko did so. It took a moment for her to become "aware", but when she did, she gasped at what she saw.

The chamber was back to the way it was before. The cracks had melded back in to form flawless ice, the spikes had smoothed, and everything had returned to being beautiful. The woman cupped her hand to her mouth. She looked around herself, seeing how everything was again a lovely shade of blue and without blemish.

She looked back to Jiro after a moment, but he casually placed his hands on his hips, leaned back on one leg, and smiled at her. She blinked a few times.

"You…you did this, didn't you? You used your own power…"

He simply shook his head. "Nope. All you."

"But…that's impossible. I didn't even try to…"

"In case you haven't noticed, you've been doing a lot of things you haven't been intending to lately." Jiro answered. "Including making this room look 'dark' and 'uneven'. All I did was get your spirit to be more 'peaceful' for a few minutes. I got you to adjust what you were from the 'core' of your being. It was only temporary, of course, but it had a nice result, don't you think?"

Eiko held a moment, but then began to approach him again. Much of her earlier fear and apprehension was gone. Now she looked more intense…and hopeful.

"Can you teach me how to control it _all_ the time? To make it do what I want only when I want?"

"Now…that's going to be a taller order." Jiro answered, crossing his arms again. "It took you five minutes to 'quiet your soul' enough to do this. You've trained yourself your whole life to naturally be fearful and afraid. That's not something that someone can just 'undo' one day. You'll have to not only think in a new light, but feel in a new light. You'll have to learn how to keep your spirit serene and 'winter-like' all the time, and that's not going to be done over the course of a week or a moon. Until that time, you'll have to constantly take a moment to do it…in other words, you'll have to 'train yourself' to do it. That's going to be rough. Now…you're going to 'stumble' from time to time. You're going to make mistakes. You're going to have slip ups. I'm warning you in advance. When that happens…you can't do what you did a little while ago. You can't 'fly into despair' or start a 'worry cycle'. You have to calm down or you won't regain control. Finally…your power isn't like mine. Not exactly. A lot of it's the same…but you have a different center."

The woman looked confused. "Center?"

"It's a bit hard to explain…but it's the primary 'source' of your power. The emotion that resonates the most with it. Yours…seems to be all over the place. I've never seen power like that before, but I don't think I've seen the 'true' center yet. At any rate…this is going to be a lot of work and time, so you're going to need to be patient."

Eiko hesitated here. She folded her hands in front of her, looking back out the door that she had come in on. After a time, she looked back to him.

"And…how long will it take to just get me to 'still my soul' enough to stop the winter?"

Jiro paused at that. He put a hand to his chin and rubbed it.

"…Hard to say. But if you're thinking that it won't take as long as 'full mastery'…you're right. It depends on how good a 'student' you are…and how good a 'teacher' I am. Yet if you're doing it by instinct…I don't know. Anywhere from a few days to a month."

Eiko grimaced on hearing that part. "A month… By then the growing season will be over… People may have died already…"

"Like I said, it depends on you." Jiro reminded her. "And _you_, in turn, depend on how relaxed you can stay and how much you work at this."

The noblewoman paused only a moment, before exhaling.

"…Very well. It's not like I have much of a choice. It's this or let my power keep going out of control…" She turned to him and gave a nod. "It's a deal. Let's start right away."

Jiro couldn't help but crack a smile at this. He wasn't exactly sure why. Being a "mentor" wasn't exactly his style. Especially since he didn't even remember fully who he was. Yet even if he didn't, he wasn't the type of person to do this sort of thing. He usually didn't care so much in situations like this. What he would have done, in any time out of a hundred over the past five minutes, was knock Eiko out and call the others in to say "mission accomplished". And yet…he couldn't help but feel "happy" about this whole thing. To be honest, it made him smile both internally as well as externally to see Eiko having controlled her power, even if only for a moment. And although he normally hated the idea of wasting time 'teaching people things'…he not only thought this sounded good, but, in spite of all of his talk and warning, he realized he _wanted_ to do this.

Was it because he liked the idea of teaching her for some reason? Of seeing more ice powers from someone who had them? Or was it because…he actually wanted to just be around her? To be honest…any option was equally valid…as he felt all might be true, and he had no idea why…

Only that this was stirring something inside him the same way his dreams did from time to time…

"Well…much as I'd prefer a non-empty stomach," Jiro answered with a hand clap. "That's not an option, so let's get started."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	6. The Cloudless Night

Nobuyuki frowned at what he was seeing. At least, he was frowning at what he was trying his best to see.

The sky had stayed clear for the most part the rest of the day, right up until now. Of course, that meant it had been far colder. Even Akiko, with her boundless energy and enthusiasm, had to borrow some cloth from the others to keep her face covered or risk frostbite. However, hardy as the yokai were, they weren't much better. If they hadn't been marching uphill all day, going into thinner air and getting progressively more winded, they never would have been able to stay warm through the trek. As it was, the constant trudge was making things warm on all of them. About the only good point in their favor was that it got only a little colder as the day went from noon to sundown. Considering the temperature changes for most of the journey, they all honestly expected a lot worse.

Unfortunately, as the day had drawn to a close, the sun had vanished, and the last bit of light with it started to fade and made way for the moon and stars, they ran into another "snag". They had come to a large ice chasm that had half of a bridge made of solid ice spanning it. The other side, however, had nothing. The bridge that matched it had been torn down. It was a bit hard to make out in the growing darkness, but with the light of the moon to help, Nobuyuki was able to see it was down.

After a while, he sighed, turning and looking back to their assembly, who stood and waited, although some of them were beginning to put their hands around themselves with the growing darkness and cold.

"No way across." He stated. "The bridge is down."

Osamu scratched his head as he waddled forward and tried to look across as well. "Huh…that's odd. I don't remember someone having ripped down the other side of the bridge to keep anyone from going across it once everyone had crossed back over it this morning…"

Takeshi, reaching up to grab his ears and warm them, walked up to the edge and looked in either direction, and then groaned. "Wonderful. Near as I can figure, this goes for miles in both directions and then into mountains. Even if we can go around, we may never be able to pick our way back to this spot."

Nobuyuki glanced over the side, and saw in addition to being a dark chasm that rapidly vanished into blackness, the edges seemed to be lined with rather sharp rocks and bits of ice. "No way to climb down and to the other side, either…"

"Oh, don't worry!" The snowman cheered, already beginning to wander over to what seemed like a cliff edge. "Eiko made a path that goes down and to the other side before she built the bridge! Just follow it and we can cross to the other side, no problem!"

He looked forward and kept walking…and soon went right over the edge and dropped out of view. The others reacted in surprise, in particular Akiko.

"Osamu!"

She quickly ran to the side, as Nobuyuki moved to look over the side as well. When they did so, they saw, only about ten feet down, Osamu had been "vivisected" and had five of his different body parts each impaled on sharp ice shards. Each was now wiggling.

"Hmm…it's a bit hard to find in the dark…" His head mused aloud.

Satoru, grimacing on hearing this, let out some chimes.

"What did he say?" Akiko asked, even as she began to try and climb down to get the body parts off of the ice shards that Osamu had ended up impaled on. Immediately, Nobuyuki seized her by the back of her clothes and lifted her back up to safety, before lowering the end of his longer blade and moving the body parts off himself.

"Basically that he doesn't want what happened to Osamu just now to happen to us…and I agree." Takara answered as she rubbed her arms and blew on her hands. "We'll die trying to get across the chasm in the dark, especially since we're all already tired. We need to stop again for the night."

Takeshi frowned at this. "In case you haven't realized, Takara, we only had three days to get there and back. There's no way we can return to Arender-ken tomorrow if we stop now. We haven't even gotten to Eiko yet."

The Tooth Dragon frowned. "Takeshi, come on! It's suicide to try and get across this chasm tonight!"

"It's a death sentence if we _don't_."

"Perhaps not." Nobuyuki answered. "After all, they can't exactly come 'get us'. And so long as we return with Eiko, do you think they will be time sticky?"

Takeshi sighed, and then looked up overhead toward the partially full moon. He stared at it a moment, and then groaned.

"…Couldn't you manage just a _bit_ more light? Then I could just get us all over there in holes…"

Akiko, still frowning from having been let up by Nobuyuki, who himself managed to start lifting pieces of Osamu out and back onto the cliff with the end of his sword, suddenly looked puzzled and turned to him.

"Huh?" She looked to the sky a moment, and then back down to him. "Were you just…talking…to the moon?"

"Oh, don't bother doing that." Osamu's head said as it was dropped on the ground, and rolled itself to rejoin its torso a moment later when that was set down as well. "I've asked that rabbit for rice cakes for I don't know how long and he never gives me any*…"

The others, however, hesitated. They turned and looked to each other for a moment, exchanging stares and glances. Yet after a time, they looked back to Akiko. Takara herself rubbed her arms a bit more, but then sighed.

"…Well, you know so much about us already, Akiko. I guess telling you one more thing won't hurt. You noticed how we all adhere to the code of bushido, right? How we're even called ronin although we're yokai?"

The young woman nodded. "Yeah. I was kind of wondering about that, though. I've never heard of yokai being trained to be samurai before…"

"Yeah, about that…" Takara answered as rubbed the feathers on the back of her head. "Well…Akiko, the truth of the matter is we all know about being samurai…because we _were_ samurai once. Not ronin. Actually samurai…belonging to houses and pledging fealty to daimyo. The whole thing."

Akiko blinked. "Wait…huh? How could you have been that? You're yokai. I never heard of any 'yokai' lords."

"There aren't any." Takeshi added, crossing his own arms and waiting away from the cliff edge. "What she meant to say is that we weren't yokai either. We were born just like you and Eiko, grew up, and became samurai. I'm originally from the coast. Nobuyuki's from a mountain settlement. Satoru's from the plains. Takara came from a fiefdom that got hit with such a bad plague they eased their restrictions and allowed more female samurai than any other region. They really didn't have a choice if they wanted to protect themselves."

"You…were all human once?" The young noblewoman said in disbelief, looking over all of them. None of them denied it. They simply stood there and stared back.

"Oh, you grow out of being human eventually?" Osamu said as he put himself more together. "Maybe I'll grow out of being a snowman… I'd kind of like to be a cat…or a rock." Pause. "What? Have you ever seen an unhappy rock?"

"So…what happened?" Akiko went on. "How are you what you are now?"

"Simple." Takeshi answered. "We died."

Akiko recoiled a bit on hearing that. Nobuyuki, however, put up his hand.

"Now, now…no need for face like that. Was painful, I'm sure…but none of us remember it. Just the moment when we were struck down in battle…and yes, we all died in battle. After that, a small moment of darkness…and then, a few years after, when all of the bodies had been cleaned up and the bones buried, we woke up…just like this." He patted his chest for emphasis. "Only one difference. Moon was brighter."

"Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto** brought us back." Takara answered. "Us in particular, because he saw what was inside us. We all had one thing in common…that you may have guessed by now."

The young woman didn't seem to know. "What?"

"We all wanted to protect children." Nobuyuki answered. "Spare them the horrors of war and living under cruel tyrants. Deep down, that's what all of us desired. That's what we believed the true meaning of 'bushido' was…to guard innocence above all costs."

"Oh! That's so wonderful!" Osamu chirped as his arms and legs reconnected and he got up, wringing his hands in delight. "…Except for the dying part. That couldn't have been fun."

Akiko was in a bit of awe. "Really?" She paused. "…It kind of makes sense, now that you mention it. Nobuyuki, you're wonder… Takeshi, you're hope… Takara, you're memory… Satoru, you're dreams…" She paused. "Wait…what's Jiro?"

Takara grimaced a bit on hearing that. Nobuyuki rubbed his beard, and then turned away from the cliff as well.

"Jiro is…a case that is special. I'll tell you while I dig our shelter for tonight…"

* * *

"…How does this help-"

"Shh…just keep it up a bit longer."

Eiko was a bit puzzled, but did as she was told. Only one hand was raised right now, and doing a rather "simple" gesture. A band of silvery-white snowflakes and ice crystals was currently encircling her, almost seeming to "orbit" her. It took the form of a double loop, like a Mobius strip, swirling endlessly in an unbroken chain. She had been holding this position for nearly fifteen minutes now. While she had embraced most of Jiro's lessons easily enough, this one confused her, as did why she had to hold it for so long. She was eager to get into the next exercise to hopefully learn more control…

However, after a bit longer, Jiro explained.

"This is more than an exercise. It's practice. You told me how your power feels like it's going to explode out of you when you hold it in too long or get to emotional, right?"

"Right…"

"So this is what you do when you have to have your power do _something_ or you'll lose control. Think of it like a mantra."

Eiko continued to make the emblem, but looked confused. "But…how can I stop it all together?"

"In your current state, you can't." Jiro answered. "Like I said, you're too overwrought. Until you learn to calm your soul, you'll keep having outbursts. So this is what you'll need to practice until then."

The woman sighed a bit before she made a gesture, dismissing the emblem in a shower of white flakes.

"Hey," He reassured. "Don't get upset. You're doing fantastic. You're already farther than I thought you'd be. You feel more in control already, don't you?"

She paused for a moment, holding up her hands and looking at them, and then looking up to examine her palace. It was still as she had originally intended it…clear and beautiful. It was dark now, but that was because the sun had gone down. The small ice "lamps" had progressively lit up more and more in order to make the chamber more illuminated.

"…I suppose you're right. So," She turned to him. "What's next?"

He snickered in response as he put a hand to his mouth and yawned.

"Next? Next we take a long break…as in the eight-hour kind."

Eiko's face fell. "What?" She really didn't want to hear something like that. She was eager to get more control as soon as possible. "I'm not tired. I can keep going…"

"That's nice. _I _can't." Jiro answered as he stretched. "You may be able to live without food and rest, but I need it. And since I'm not getting food…I'll have to settle for rest. On that note…you should take a rest too."

She frowned. "I said I'm not-"

"Well, you don't know enough to 'move on' without me, and while you may be able to get by without sleep, you still get mentally tired as much as the next person, don't you? Sleeping for a few hours will help clear your mind about everything you're worried about."

Eiko hesitated after hearing that, giving him a stare. After a time, she sighed and then held her hands out and began to make some gestures. It seemed she was calm enough to make what she wanted again, for in no time at all frost arose from the ground in a cloud, condensed, took shape, and soon formed a fully made futon on the floor.

Jiro grinned as he began to approach it. "Glad that's working again. Where's yours?"

"_Mine_, if and when I decide to lay down, will be in another room." Eiko answered.

"Ah." Jiro answered as he went up to the side and bent down, touching it. Soon after, he paused, and then looked up to her. "Um, my lady? There's one thing wrong with this."

"What?"

He leaned over and rapped his knuckles on the top of the sheets, setting out a hollow thudding sound. "I can't exactly sleep in a sculpture."

This actually seemed to confuse Eiko. She blinked as she walked over to the futon herself. Sure enough, from up above, it looked like a regular, solid ice sculpture. She bent down soon after and reached for it. However, when she grabbed it, it reacted just like sheets and covers. She was easily able to draw them back. When she pressed her hand on the pillow, it gave just like any pillow would. She released it soon after, and Jiro reached over to touch where she touched. Sure enough…solid ice.

Eiko looked even more puzzled. "I don't understand…"

"Seems like you've got some 'subconscious' control over your power." Jiro responded. "I suppose it makes sense. I mean, look at your clothes. People normally can't just go around 'wearing ice' even if it doesn't freeze them. You must be making it unfreeze and refreeze thousands of times in various spots so perfectly it behaves like it's fabric."

She frowned. "And here I thought since you're obviously immune to cold, you could actually sleep in a bed I made…"

"Well," Jiro said as he stood up and leaned his hands behind his head. "Only one thing to do."

She looked up to him.

"Make a bed big enough for _both_ of us to sleep in."

Eiko's eyes widened, and she went red-faced for a moment as her mouth loosened. She stammered for a moment, before her jaw clenched and she glared at him and then rose again.

"_You_ can sleep on the floor. As for me, if you're not teaching me, I'll go 'relax' in my own way."

She spun around and began to rapidly move out of the room, holding her head high and keeping the frown on her face as she kept her back to him.

"Oh, come on!" Jiro complained. When Eiko kept walking, he put his arms back to his sides and walked after her. "It was a harmless joke! A bit of fun! You know? Something you could stand to do? Loosen up and have fun?"

Eiko didn't answer as she pushed open the doors with a gesture and went through them, rapidly moving on. Quickly, Jiro ran forward and slid through them before she could shut them again, which she did, nearly catching him inside. At any rate, still not turning she moved for the nearest stairs and began to climb them.

Jiro frowned as she went. "And here I thought we were making 'progress'… I've noticed something about you, 'queen'. You never stand your ground when it comes to your emotions, do you? You run and hide from them. That's something your parents taught you, wasn't it? To be ashamed of 'feeling'?" By now, he was at the bottom of the stairs looking up to her.

Eiko paused to look down at him through the ice only a moment. "…And when my 'feelings' end up almost freezing my sister to death?" She asked. "That makes me a bit 'reluctant' to 'wear them on my sleeve'." She looked up again and kept climbing.

"Oh, how many times does the average kid put themselves in mortal peril growing up from doing stupid things?" Jiro asked as he began to climb up after her. "That's another problem. You don't 'allow' yourself to 'make a mistake'."

He heard a groan from higher up. "I'm in charge of an entire _fiefdom_. I can't afford to make mistakes. Mistakes mean families starve. Mistakes mean rival lords invade. Mistakes mean rebellions get plotted. Mistakes mean _people die_. And in regards to my mistakes making 'people die'…you haven't forgotten why I'm here in the first place, have you? Still think I can be allowed to 'make a mistake'? To 'feel'? The rules are a bit 'different' for me, I'm afraid."

"There's a difference between allowing yourself to feel things like any normal human being would, which is what I had in mind, and holding in your emotions until they explode in bursts that cause these accidents, which is what _you're _doing." Jiro answered as he kept going up after her. "Look, I'm not going to press it because it's taken a good part of today to get you this calm and I don't want to ruin it agitating you again…but you have to master the rest of your emotions along with your fear."

A loud sigh came from overhead, but it sounded like it was fading. Eiko apparently had "reached the top" and gotten off. Soon after, Jiro found the top of the stairs himself, and saw it leading to a side hallway. He looked, and saw Eiko was already down in that direction, although she had slowed a bit as well as calmed while she approached the end of the hall, where moonlight was bathing the interior of the ice pagoda through a large window.

"Hey…" He said a bit softer, smiling at her as he followed. "Don't give me that sigh of exasperation. You told me yourself…you felt 'free' when you were out here, didn't you? That's because you allowed yourself to feel some emotions, wasn't it?"

Eiko kept walking but slowed more.

"You even let yourself feel 'happy', didn't you? And what was the end result?" He gestured around. "This beautiful castle. That elegant bridge. You think people are scared of you…but something tells me if you could keep yourself in a 'good mood' around them, you could make a lot of beauty and wonder that they'd appreciate."

Eiko finished going up to the window and halted. She folded her hands in front of her and exhaled, before finally turning her head back to him. "You know what _I_ would appreciate?" She said a bit sharply. "Being able to say or do something around you without you immediately criticizing my choices. Didn't you try to say I was a 'good daimyo' earlier? You would think that would mean, at some point, that I would make a good decision for myself."

"True, but that's because you're thinking with your head and not with your heart." Jiro answered. "There's an old yokai proverb Nobuyuki shared with me about humans. 'If they think with their stomach, they forget their heads. If they think with their heads, they forget their hearts. And if they think with their hearts…'" He gave a playful shrug as he neared. "'Then they forget _everything_.'"

The woman sighed, and then looked away and back to the window. She walked forward a bit more. Since it was one that reached all the way to the floor, she walked right outside. Once there, she placed her hands on the railing and looked out. Jiro himself got a bit closer, and then ventured to stick his head outside the window even though he moved no closer. After all, there was only a small balcony outside, and he'd end up standing right next to Eiko if he tried to share it with her.

A rather impressively landscape greeted him. Numerous rocky peaks extending far and away into the distance, each one covered with fresh snow. The moon was nearly full, and although it was night now, it bathed the entire world that he could see with light, which, reflected off the snow, turned everything to a soft white. It was majestic. Even if it was so cold no human would be enjoy it without heavy cold protection, it was marvelous to Jiro.

"…You make a good landscape."

Eiko hesitated, and then let out a weak chuckle. "Well, most of it was like this when I got here. But yeah…I added a few inches here and there."

"It's very pretty." Jiro answered.

The noblewoman merely bowed her head. "It's icy and deadly. I'm the only one who can even survive in a place like this…"

"Well, not the _only_ one…if I could get some food, that is. I'm sure it's nicer if you have some company, though. It _is_ a bit on the hard side to visit, but maybe you and your sister can stay here during part of the winter…or maybe on really hot summers."

Eiko sighed and closed her eyes.

"Oh, come on. She likes snow…er, seems to." Jiro quickly added. "Have your 'delivery boys' bring up a load of food, firewood, and blankets, and even she could live in a place like this for a while. I'm sure you'd be happier with her around…"

The noblewoman turned her head a bit and groaned. "…You don't get it, do you? At this point, the only reason I still have for being up here is just to learn to control my power enough to stop the winter. After that…I'm heading back down, and I'm going to face my punishment as an honorable woman."

Jiro paused on hearing that. His own smile ebbed a bit.

Eiko looked back out. "You're right, Jiro…I _am_ a smart woman. Which is why I know I'm not going to escape the most severe punishment they have. I'm already a witch and a monster. I attacked the daimyo's men…and I killed people. There is only one sentence for someone like me. So no…please do not try and cheer me up with talk about spending more time with my sister. The last time I am going to see my sister is when she's gazing at me in the midst of an angry crowd right before the sword comes down that cleaves my head from my body."

Now…Jiro's smile was completely gone. A bit to his own surprise, it wasn't just what she was saying being depressing. He was actually…uncomfortable with what he heard. Even worried. He had barely known this woman that long, but…something inside of him really didn't like the thought of that. After a moment, he shook his head…and took a step closer.

"Don't say things like that."

Eiko let out another grim chuckle. "More 'not letting my emotions get the better of me'?"

"No…just…don't talk like that." Jiro answered. "Like everything is so hopeless. Things may work out."

Now the woman really did laugh bitterly. "…I can't tell if this is weak optimism or just foolishness on your part." She paused a moment, her eyes lifting slightly to look out into the night. She hesitated there, seeming to calm a bit. She breathed in and out a few times, as Jiro showed her, and in the end she was still...almost somber.

"…It's peaceful at least." She turned slightly to him. "Talk to me."

Jiro blinked. "Huh?"

"Talk. Say something. You were right about one thing…I don't like being alone here with my thoughts, just fearing about the future. Talk to me."

The young man hesitated, but then shrugged. "About what?"

"Anything. What was _your_ family like?"

Jiro hesitated, then shrugged as he put his hands behind his head again, this time leaning in the frame. "No idea."

The woman turned her head to him. "…Pardon me?"

"No idea. I don't remember anything before two years ago."

Eiko blinked, looking up more and fully orientating her body. "…You don't?"

"Not a thing." Jiro answered. "All I can remember doing is waking up in a pile of snow in the middle of nowhere. I didn't know who I was or what I was. After wandering around for several weeks, finding out all about my powers, I ran into the other four members of the Jido no Hogu-sha, and they let me in."

The woman reacted to this. "Did…did you say the 'Jido no Hogu-sha'? They're…they're actually real?"

Jiro grinned. "You sound so surprised, my lady. What? Didn't you believe in them?"

"…Sort of, but…as I got older, I kind of stopped believing in myths…" She admitted, her face falling a bit, but then shaking it off. "You mean…you were running around with them? Does that mean you're one of them the legends missed?"

"Heh…not unless the legends are only about a year old." Jiro answered. "Nope…I'm a ronin amongst the ronin. No formal samurai training…nothing about 'bushido' other than what they lecture me on. They let me wander with them, though. They gave me companionship…and a purpose. I won't say I always get along with them, but they're honestly a great bunch. Even Takeshi…I mean, 'The Ghost Hare'."

Eiko hesitated for a time, and then bowed her head again. "I suppose it makes sense…as odd as it is. If you're going to try and go after someone like me, why not send yokai? I could deal with human warriors easily enough…"

"That you could. Not bad for a greenhorn." Jiro answered, uncrossing his arms and looking back at her, his smile returning a bit. "You've got a lot of potential, Eiko. I'm really eager to see what comes of it."

She sighed. "…Not that I'll get the chance."

"What if you _did_?"

The sharpness of the question made Eiko look up. Jiro, meanwhile, moved his hand over to one of the ice walls and traced his finger, beginning to etch frost patterns into it absent-mindedly.

"How about, so long as we're relaxing, just for tonight…nothing bad could happen. Only good things. What then? What if you did get the chance? What would you do? How would you like to live, now as a woman who was a daimyo and could command winter itself?" He smiled a bit. "Create a kingdom of ice and dominate Japan?"

Eiko grimaced, waving a hand at him. "Don't be ridiculous. If I hate hurting people with this power unwillingly, I definitely don't want to do it willingly."

"What, then?"

The woman hesitated for a moment. She looked ahead briefly, back out into the wilderness.

"…I'd return to Arender-ken and resume being queen."

"Would you live in a palace of ice, just like this one?"

She looked around. "…I wouldn't mind, but…" She trailed off.

"Go on."

"Nothing. It doesn't matter."

"Go on. What?"

She inhaled. "…Well, if we're going to be pretending only 'good things' could happen, then I might as well pretend I'd never have to lock myself up again or hide from the world. And I wouldn't. I'd leave the gates to the castle open and allow whoever wished to to come and go as they pleased."

"Really? Heh…wouldn't that invite assassins and rival daimyos?"

"…Aren't you the one who said only good things could happen?"

"True, heh. What else?"

"…I'd have a room with Akiko again."

Jiro raised an eyebrow and stepped a little closer, now fully outside and bracing himself on a railing. "A bit old for that, aren't we?"

"I'd be 'catching up' on lost time." Eiko answered…a trace of a smile slowly beginning to appear on her face. "I really wouldn't mind. Even when I was younger…I don't think I minded it even when she shook me in the middle of the night and woke me up to play. It was fun…and I can't remember the last time I had fun. I know it won't be long before she _does_ get married and moves away from Arender-ken…so I'd spend every hour with her, if I could. I'd eat all my meals with her, take her on any journey to a neighboring kingdom I'd have to go to…just play silly games with her that I'm too old for… I wouldn't care, because…" She paused, and then inhaled as her smile melted again. "…because I love her. I've never stopped loving her. Not even for an instant. The hardest thing for me as the years went on was that I know she thought I stopped loving her…that I stopped caring about her or thinking of her as a sister…"

She put her hands together for a moment, and looked back up to Jiro.

"…When mom and dad died…she had to go to the funeral alone. My power was out of control because I was grieving so badly. I can still remember that day…when I was in my room, surrounded by ice and frost I had made unwittingly, and she came and knocked on the door. I was scared to death. That room had to be cold enough to nearly stop one's breathing. I didn't dare open the door. So instead…there I sat against the door, while she knocked on it…begging for me to talk to her, offering to help me…and needing my help too."

Her eyes closed.

"I would have given anything…_anything_…to open that door for five minutes, hug her as tightly as I could, and tell her that everything was going to be alright. Even my own life. To this day, I still dream about it…wanting so badly to open the door and let her know I was there…how much I loved her…" She inhaled deeply. "…That's what I would tell Akiko. I would spend every waking moment trying to make up for the years of loneliness and feelings of being unloved that I subjected her too."

A moment of silence passed. Jiro looked to Eiko as her head remained low, and finally spoke to her.

"…You're a good person, Eiko."

The woman nearly snorted again…but before she could, to her surprise, Jiro was on her again and once more placing his fingers on her lips. Again, she looked up in shock at that…and found the pale young man standing in front of her, smiling softly, holding the fingers there. As she looked him over…seeing him so close again…she couldn't help but stare a bit longer at his face and body figure…and turn a tad red again.

"Eiko…I've been telling you to do a lot of things today. But I'm _pleading_ with you to do this…don't 'laugh' at people who say good things about you. You deserve them. You're a wonderful woman. You have flaws…but everyone does, and these ones weren't your fault. Whatever happened back during that night…it was an accident. Even if it was a horrible accident, it was still an accident. You're smart, you're caring, and somehow in spite of the life you've had, you haven't been 'corrupted' or 'tainted' by this gift you've been given."

The woman's eyes burned at that. "Gift?" She spoke around his fingers. "You call this a-"

"_Yes_, it's a _gift_." Jiro sharply answered, cutting her off. "Just like everything in nature, including human beings, it has its good and its bad side. You have power above and beyond that of any other yokai I've ever seen. One of these days…you're going to do something great with it. I know because that's what you did when you got the authority to rule in Arender-ken given to you. Mark my words…one day…a day that will come after you've lived a long and happy life…your power is going to inspire joy, wonder, and admiration in people…not fear and hate."

Eiko held a moment. Hearing those words, and hearing how serious Jiro was…not his normal jovial or casual self…actually looking her in the eye and telling them…for a second, she began to believe he was serious as well. And for a moment, the thought of the thing that had filled her with fear and dread her whole life actually being something embraced by others besides herself…Jiro not only gave he that thought but made her believe it. As a result, her eyes actually began to shimmer a moment as her mouth hung slightly ajar…

Yet she closed it again after a moment, turning her head away again. She closed her eyes.

Jiro lowered his hand, and turned his head a bit. After a moment, he let out a small chuckle and crossed his arms again.

"…Don't listen too much to someone who's flattering you, right?"

Eiko said nothing in response. She kept looking away. Jiro held for a moment, but then smiled a bit again. He reached out and took her by the hand, and then turned and began to lead her. She looked up at that, blinking in surprise.

"What…what are you…?"

"Come on." He said. "If we're not sleeping, we're going to relax _somehow_."

* * *

"…You can't be serious."

Jiro snickered as he scooped up some more snow and set it on top of a wall he had been building. Even without his staff, he had enough power to pack the snow using the frost in his hands and setting it down.

"I am _so_ serious."

Eiko, from where she stood, looked around in a bit of confusion. Jiro had already "taken care" of her…having built a similar wall of snow for her at a distance and even packing together a collection of snowballs and placing them inside. Now he was making one opposite her and nearly done. Although it was night, the nearly full moon was giving off a lot of light, enabling the two to see each other fairly clearly outside the front of the magnificent ice pagoda. A few of the snow ogres who stood guard were actually watching this scene curiously.

She continued to grimace. "A snowball fight? In the middle of the night? At a time like this?"

"Sheesh…loosen up!" Jiro answered. "Have some fun! You want to have fun with your sister, right? Well, how are you going to have any fun if you only know how to be a stick in the mud?"

"I'm not really in the mood for this…"

"Well, you _should_ be!" The pale young man answered as he got behind his wall. "Enjoy yourself for a change! It'll improve your mood! Your lessons will go a lot better! You know how to be in a snowball fight, right?"

"Of course I do…I just haven't done it in years…"

"Then get behind the wall already!"

Eiko hesitated, then sighed and went behind it. As she did, Jiro reached over and took the first snowball. A moment later, he inched his head over the top and looked out, searching for a target.

However, he frowned when he saw Eiko was standing behind the wall, but not crouching.

"…Could you at least _try_ and get down?" He called out.

Sighing, she squatted a bit, with an impatient look, as if eager to get this over with.

A moment later, she winced as a snowball pasted her in the face.

"Still too high."

"You really want me to get that low wearing this kimono?"

"Well, change it into something better if you like! But come on! At least_ try_ to have fun!"

Groaning again, she lowered herself a bit more. "I hope this is over soon… Sorry, but I can't very well have a good time when I'm fearful for my life…"

Jiro frowned as she got a bit lower. This wasn't having the effect he hoped. He thought she'd at least loosen up a bit by now. But he supposed she was so used to being worried and fearful that it would take another exercise just to make her relax… Well, he didn't have time for that.

But he _did_ have his "other power".

Smiling a bit to himself, he took up another snowball, placed his hand on it, and then concentrated. A moment later, a bit of "wintry mist" streamed out of it and into the ball. It only took a moment, but once it was charged with it, he quickly went to work. Pushing himself low to the ground, he looked out from behind his wall and out to opposing one. Eiko was crouched behind it now but not even looking. That would be perfect.

Immediately, he began to slide out from behind the wall. Although he had no memory…he was a pro at this sort of thing. Whatever he had been before, he had to have done this thousands of times… And so, he was perfectly silent, even over the snow, as he snuck out and away from his fort and right up to hers. In moments, he was right outside the wall. She had to have not even been paying attention or trying. Soon after, he stood up just enough to look over the edge, and saw she had her back to him. He grinned a bit as he targeted the area above the collar of her kimono, showing bare skin. She didn't get "cold"…but this would do.

Hefting his snowball, he flung it and pasted her right there on top of the head, letting bits of snow roll down her back.

"Ah!" She cried, her power spasming and letting out two chains of ice spread out around her hands where she had them set. She whirled around in a flash, glaring angrily at what had happened, and seeing Jiro's grinning face look over her. For a brief second, she seemed infuriated…

But the silvery mist that had been in the snowball now came out when it broke, and immediately spread around her face. When she turned to look at him, it quickly sank into her eyes. For a moment, her look was enraged, but then quickly gave way to puzzlement and confusion as the mist seemed into them, for a moment turning their already blue color a shade "bluer". She blinked a few times on it doing so, but then the color began to fade…and as it did, so did her frown. Instead, she actually smiled a bit, as if a good humor had come over her. A moment later, she looked back up to Jiro, no longer angry at all, and seeming far more enthused.

After that, she smiled a bit "craftily".

"You…are _so_ dead."

She held up her hands, and immediately snow began to condense in them. Soon it formed a snowball, but it didn't stop there. It quickly began to grow larger than a normal one…and then larger than that. Jiro whistled as Eiko began to rise and stepped back as the snowball became a couple feet across.

"Uh oh…looks like I stepped on someone's tail!" He joked, and then quickly turned and ran for it, trying to avoid getting pasted in the back by the now massive snowball. In the end, he managed to jump just in time to let the ball miss him and fly underneath his feet, breaking against the ground. Seeing that, he grinned and turned around.

"Ha! You mis-"

He was cut off a moment later when a smaller snowball got him in between the eyes. He quickly shook his head to clear it, and then looked up…only to see that Eiko was still craftily smiling…and now was balancing no less than eight snowballs hovering in mid-air by one hand.

"You want a war?" She asked. "You got one. Thanks for showing me this trick yesterday, by the way."

Jiro blinked in astonishment, and even a bit of fear, for just a moment…before he grinned even more himself. "Never say die!" He shouted before he ran for his own fort.

The pale young man didn't feel a whole lot of "guilt" over what he had done. Technically, it _was_ mind control…but only a little. All he did was temporarily cut off all of Eiko's feelings toward negativity and instead gave her more positive, upbeat, and fun-seeking ones. It only lasted for a minute, after all. After that, whatever Eiko did would be "all her"…and the result was the same as always. After having someone unwillingly "having fun" for a minute, she was eager to have more and continued to play without even knowing what had happened.

Jiro found himself rather "outclassed" when it came to powers now. Eiko easily dominated him in the snowball fight, even with his propensity to move and "experience". So it wasn't long after that happened that Jiro suggest they go one better and try skating instead. There was a blank open room in the castle with the floor already almost frictionless ice. With a little guidance from Jiro, Eiko found she could make skates for the both of them and soon they were gliding about all over it. Eiko, again, was flawless…but the fact that she could manipulate both her skates and the floor to keep her moving may have had something to do with it. She even found she could shoot streams of cold energy out from behind her to "propel" her. Yet after they both had quite a bit of fun with that, the woman actually got another "idea".

"Come outside." She said, clearly grinning herself now. "You're going to love this."

Jiro was a bit stunned that the woman ended up willingly doing so…but he supposed he should have expected that when Eiko was in a good mood, she could do anything she wanted. Once she had them both outside, she tightened her face, grinned almost "fiercely", and turned both of her hands upward. To the young man's shock, she rose a "mountain" of snow out of the ground, steep and tall. Wondering what that was for, he got his answer when Eiko created a long flat surface, like a plank, out of ice along with a curve at the end for herself and Jiro, and soon jumped in and slid down the snow mountain. The young man had never seen something like that before…but he soon found he enjoyed it immensely. What was even better is Eiko merely whistled for her creations to come over and carry them both back to the top when they were done, enabling them to sled down the huge snowpile repeatedly without having to hike.

Yet what Jiro noticed the most was Eiko while they were having all of these "fun and games". When seeing her smiling, animated, fully "in her element" and reveling in her power…she went from being a confused, scared noblewoman to a glorious queen…a goddess, even, in Jiro's eyes. Her pale features almost seemed more alive than anything "warm" could ever be, and even the way she moved with confidence and poise accented both her "regality" as well as her power and freedom. He had never witnessed an individual seem so "one" with winter, as if everything around her was made for her glory and revelry and she was basking in it. And frankly…she looked dazzlingly beautiful like this. Jiro had never seen anyone look so beautiful in his entire life.

He was so captivated by her that he actually forgot himself occasionally. As a result, he didn't notice how Eiko smiled a bit more when he picked out a new "activity", or how she seemed to stare at him from time to time…as if lost in thought. Most of all, he didn't notice how she would stare at him for a while and then either quickly turn away, as if forcing herself too…or only doing so after turning deep red.

When they were finally done, it was still night, but both were exhausted…as well as smiling and laughing. Any other human would be numb with cold after all that running around, but the both of them were almost "feeling warm" as they went back inside.

"That…was…amazing." Jiro stated as they went back into the palace. "_You're_ amazing."

Eiko couldn't help but blush a bit again as she kept her grin. "Thanks…"

"I never would have thought to do that before. But…man, there's so many mountains around here I could do that sliding thing with… It would be fantastic."

"Um, aren't those ones covered with rocks?"

Jiro snickered. "Please. You should see me with my staff. I can fly like a snowflake around anything. It'd be more thrilling. I'd whip around every rock or tree in a snap."

Eiko actually chuckled a bit as well. "I believe it. After seeing you earlier."

"Say…" He said with a bit of a smile. "That sounds like a good thing for tomorrow, eh?"

The woman paused for a moment, and then lost a bit of her smile.

"…You'd need your staff for that, wouldn't you?"

Jiro blinked, and then his own smile faltered. "Come on…you're not still hung up on that, are you?"

The woman continued to hesitate. Yet after a moment, her smile faded altogether, and she stood up more. She exhaled and looked away.

"…Sheesh, I'm stupid."

Now Jiro was really confused as he rose up more as well. "Huh?"

"Here I am, lecturing Akiko on getting too close to a man she just met…and what am I doing?"

"Hey!" Jiro instantly protested, his tone turning genuinely upset on hearing that. "All we did was have some harmless fun! And that's all I'm talking about…harmless fun."

Eiko turned to him with a stern look. "You're 'talking' about getting your staff back."

"Just so we can enjoy ourselves!" Jiro answered with a shrug. "Sheesh…I can't show you what I can really do without it!"

Eiko's gaze turned a bit narrow. "…I'll just bet." She turned and started to walk away.

Jiro stood in stunned silence for a moment. He really hadn't meant for this. But more than that…he realized what was really upsetting him wasn't that Eiko wasn't trusting him, but that she was giving him the cold shoulder… Something inside him stirred at that…was actually pained by it.

"Alright, forget it." He said, soon walking after her. "Forget I mentioned it. We'll just get some shut-eye, and tomorrow we'll go back to practice, and we can do more of that sliding thing to unwind afterward. Alright?"

Eiko didn't answer. She kept walking.

"Come on!" He shouted back. "I didn't mean that! I promised I wasn't going to do anything!"

Still no answer.

"What do you want me to do to prove it to you?" He shouted. "Anything! I'll do anything!" She still didn't react, and he wasn't getting anywhere. Frowning a bit, really hating how this was ruining what had been a wonderful night, he finally groaned. He really hated to do this…but he realized he wanted Eiko's trust even more.

"…Break it!"

This got Eiko to stop. She turned back to him, her suspicion replaced by confusion. "…Excuse me?"

"Break it in two." Jiro answered. "There's no other trees around here. I can't have another one unless I go all the way back to Arender-ken."

The noblewoman paused. "…You wanted your staff back so badly, and now you just want me to ruin it?"

"I still _do_ want it back…but if you'll trust me, if you'll realize that I only want to help you out…then fine." Jiro answered. "Snap it. I'll be a lot happier. All I want you to do is realize I'm not planning anything, I don't want to hurt you or trick you, and that I just want to teach you to control your power and help you unwind." He sighed. "If I have to give up my staff for that…then so be it."

Eiko's gaze narrowed momentarily. "…I'll really do it, you know, if that's what you want."

"Go ahead." Jiro answered without batting an eye. "Just promise me that when I stay afterward…you'll believe that I'm not lying to you."

The woman stared silently back for a moment. Then, she merely drew her head up and turned again. She kept walking, but slower this time…back toward the room they had been practicing in. Jiro followed right behind, not saying a word.

After a minute, they were there. With a wave of her hand, the ice receded off of the wall where Jiro's staff was, even while she walked up to it. She soon reached it as it uncovered and removed it. She turned and faced him afterward, bracing it out in front of her. He stared back at a distance, crossing his own arms. Realizing the position it was in, he looked uneasy…but said nothing.

"Still want me to go ahead?" She asked. "I'm serious."

Jiro did actually pause that time, but in the end, he swallowed. "…You'll trust me afterward if you do this?"

She hesitated. "…More than before, at any rate."

"Then do it."

She stared back. She tightened her grip and brought it up. "…Here I go. I'm really going to do it. Last chance."

Jiro swallowed again, and actually let out a groan from his closed mouth, but he still held. He didn't move and waited.

Eiko stared a bit more, and then put out a knee. The weapon began to lower, making him grimace, but still hold.

Then, right as it reached her knee…she stopped.

Jiro's grimace vanish, and he looked puzzled. As for Eiko, she looked down to the staff a bit quietly…almost sadly…before turning and going back to the wall. She placed it against it and covered it with ice again.

He blinked. "…Why?"

"…I don't honestly know." She answered. "Just…that it seemed wrong to take that from you… Besides…you proved to me that you're serious. You didn't try to stop me when I was going to do it. I don't think you could tell I was faking…because I _wasn't_ until right as I started to bring it down."

Jiro hesitated, but then cracked a smile. "…If that's the case, how about giving it back?"

Eiko looked up to him…and actually smiled very slightly herself.

"Don't push it. I'll tell you what…you'll get it back as soon as I've stopped the winter. Deal?"

"Aw…I was looking forward to some epic sliding…" He said with a hurt voice. "But deal."

* * *

Itachitoko woke up with a smile that morning. This was the third and final day that had been given the Jido no Hogu-sha…but he was certain it would be the end of it. By the end of today, they'd be begging to go out after her. Then everything would be complete, and he would finally get his reward. As hard as it had been, he knew the payoff would soon be worth it.

He hated snow and cold…part of the reason he was glad for the powers that would be coming…but after getting dressed that morning, he was eager to look outside and see a snow-covered landscape. Thinking of everyone freezing and huddling in terror. Seeing no more sun to greet them. Just frost and ice… He already prepared to bring out his full measure of loathing for it so that he could practically plead with Nakamura to send out another group. With that in mind, he exited his room, eager to meet up with the shogun's representative and Lord Hachiro to see the "good" news.

Soon, he had to fight not to show that he was practically horrified.

There was no snow on the ground this morning. What was there from yesterday and had been shoveled stayed in piles, and no fresh powder had come. What was left had small wet spots underneath it. It was still very cold outside, definitely not summer…but not below freezing. The piles of snow were actually slowly melting. There wasn't any ice around the palace this morning either. While there had been frost covering everything again, it was definitely not as bad as yesterday. In fact, it almost wasn't as bad as two days ago.

Where before everyone had been growing progressively more anxious and nervous yesterday, now there was confusion…and even a twinge of hope. No more were people stricken with panic. They gave pause now that they saw the winter was actually receding. It couldn't be dismissed as a "fluke" either. The weather had steadily been getting worse for days, but now was the first upturn. As Itachitoko moved through the castle halls, progressively making his way to the courtyard to see for himself, he even heard people speaking in terms of promise. Rumors were circulating that the Jido-no-Hogu-sha had succeeded…that the winter was ending.

That, in turn, only made the twisted old man more nervous.

He eventually made it to a window overlooking the courtyard, and leaned out. He wasn't the only noble who was doing so either. He saw that many others, as well as the staff of Arender-ken castle, were out and looking around, confirming the change in the weather themselves. Although early, it was already not nearly as cold as yesterday, and without the icy breeze either. Many of the castle staff members were using the opportunity to split more firewood, just in case. Hachiro himself was out and looking around, marveling at the change. The clouds were even breaking overhead to allow more rays of sunlight to come in occasionally…

The onmyoji had to look away and quickly hide his face, lest anyone outside see his clear shock. He soon began to go for the lower levels as fast as he could, meaning to head outside too. All the while his mind was blazing.

_This is impossible! This isn't how it was supposed to be! She was supposed to freeze Arender-ken and the rest of the surrounding lands until Nakamura was forced to take action! Or be incensed by that boy to the point of spiking her powers! Or at _least_ be killed by them! But she can't have been killed… If she had, I would have already received my reward! I definitely don't feel all-powerful…which means she still lives!_

_Damn it all! That brat isn't actually teaching her _how_ to control her powers, is he? He was supposed to make everything go smoothly…not ruin it all!_

_This is bad… If she _does_ learn to control her power…then she'll be able to stand in the way of Shitakarahi when he revives…and if she does _that_…even if he kills her…he won't give me my reward. Far from it…he may decide he has no use for me…_

_I have to stop this! We have to go after that bitch now! But…but how? What can I say to make Nakamura change his mind?_

Itachitoko was still racking his brains for answers when he reached the door to the courtyard. He took only a moment to smooth himself out and look "innocent" of everything going on before he pushed open the door and walked outside. Soon, he looked as "awed" as everyone else while walking about…although, inside, he was equal parts furious and frightened…

He was only out for about three minutes before Nakamura himself finally followed, stepping out and regarding the air much the same as the rest of them. He looked around a bit before going over to one of the snow piles, and feeling down around the base of it. He touched the wetness as well.

"Still quite cold…but not enough to snow…" Nakamura stated. "It's melting…"

"Do you think the winter is receding, my lord?" One of his aides asked him.

"Possibly… This is definitely an improvement, but there's no way to tell for certain yet…" He answered. "Not unless it's even better tomorrow. Then I'd be forced to conclude that."

"Those monsters actually succeeded?" One of the guards voiced aloud as he looked around. "I suppose I shouldn't have doubted them… Even a yuki-onna couldn't stand against them…"

Itachitoko tried not to show his unease as he heard all of this. He racked his brains trying to think of something. There had to be a way around this…a way to convince them to move out. But he could think of nothing. What could possibly be said? Perhaps he could claim this was a trick or a reprieve… Perhaps he could say that they should go and confirm in case it got worse again…but Nakamura and his damned "honor"…he'd make sure to give them the full three days as agreed first. And by tomorrow, if it was better, he'd forget the three day head start and let them succeed… He looked around, desperate for something…

"Lord Hachiro!"

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted. He looked in the same direction the young noble did, toward the main gate. They saw the sentry posted on it, and he was looking back inside the castle and motioning.

"Lord Nakamura! Lord Itachitoko!" He shouted. "A beast has run up to the gates! It's Lady Akiko's horse!"

The other two noblemen looked up at this, and both registered surprise…although Hachiro was far worse than Nakamura. After a moment, the guards began to open the gates, grabbing the chains for the heavy doors and slowly drawing them open. They had only managed a crack before the animal ran in, snow on part of its saddle and frost tinting parts of its body. It had obviously been out all night. And as it ran in, it limped and wheezed, as if both hungry and tired as well as cold. The animal managed to stay up as it came inside, but it looked on the point of collapse at any moment.

Hachiro readily moved out to the horse, taking the lead. Nakamura, however, was right behind him, and with him were a number of his personal men as well as the Arender-ken guards. Finally, after a pause, Itachitoko brought up the rear. However, while the others went up to the horse and Hachiro even took the bridle, the onmyoji kept his distance.

The horse seemed to relax when Hachiro took the bridle, but even then kept wheezing, looking like he would fall at any moment. Hachiro looked at the animal a moment, and back to the saddle on it. However, as he looked, Nakamura was stunned. He looked over the creature a moment, then looked around in confusion.

"…What's the meaning of this? What is Lady Akiko's horse doing out here? Where is she?"

Hearing this, the young noble winced a bit. He swallowed and almost cringed for a moment, before he exhaled and forced himself to stand up straight, and fully turn to Nakamura.

"…She's gone to see her sister."

Nakamura whirled on him in an instant. "What?"

"She insisted, my lord." Hachiro went on. "She believes that Lady Eiko is innocent, and she went to try and talk her out of this before the yokai we dispatched could kill her."

The man's fists tightened as he glared at him. "…And you knew of this. In that case, how did she know of our plans to begin with? How did she know we had dispatched them to kill her?"

"My lord, Akiko is not a prisoner in her own castle. She was able to freely move about it. No doubt, she learned from the Jido no Hogu-sha. When she told me of it…I had to let her go." He swallowed and bowed his head slightly. "…I'm completely taken with Lady Akiko, my lord. I love her. Knowing how much grief it would bring her if I didn't let her go…knowing how much she would hate me if I didn't assist her…"

"And yet you betrayed me, a representative of the shogun, to do so." Nakamura darkly answered. "Your first loyalty is to the emperor, not to _any_ woman, Lord Hachiro. If I hadn't already been placed in a good mood by the change in weather, I would be enraged. Perhaps even mad enough to make you answer to the shogun himself for omitting this from me. For endangering my life and that of everyone else in Arender-ken if Akiko should agitate Eiko into wrecking more havoc or, worse yet, meet some unfortunate end in the wilderness and leave Arender-ken without an heir…something that the shogun charged me to ensure at whatever cost, even my life."

"My lord."

Nakamura looked up, and found himself staring at Itachitoko, who was now advancing on him and Hachiro as well. After a moment, the latter looked to him as well. The onmyoji took a moment to choose his words carefully. This was his chance to make up for his mistake…so he had better not waste it. He had to seize this opportunity.

"As upset as you are, I must beg that you place your anger aside for the time being. We have far more serious problems to worry about." He gestured to the horse. "Here is Lady Akiko's horse, taken out by her, and now covered with frost and snow and without a rider. By now, Lady Akiko has been gone at least as long as the Jido no Hogu-sha. And while it may be growing warmer here, if she went to the north she has been enduring blistering cold and a harsh wilderness without the aide of a retinue or any support. The fact that her horse comes back to us riderless means that she is likely in grave danger. My lord…I know you are an honorable man and gave those yokai three days, but circumstances have changed. Even if the winter is lessening, she could be injured or freezing to death in a pile of snow right now, especially after that storm yesterday. I must insist that men be dispatched to her aide as quickly as possible."

"I agree." Hachiro answered, immediately turning to Nakamura. "My lord…I will indeed answer for whatever punishment you have in mind for me, even to the emperor himself. But we must go and make sure that Lady Akiko is safe. If you are sending out any men as Lord Itachitoko suggests, I will gladly go with them. Barring that…I will go myself if need be, with my own men and whatever volunteers are willing to come."

Nakamura hesitated. He looked to the two, and seemed to mewl the matter over for a moment. However, Itachitoko was already smiling on the inside in victory. He knew he'd go. Of course he would. If anything happened to Lady Akiko, it would be his head, after all. He had to do something whether he liked it or not. In the end, he'd agree…and men would be dispatched to deal with Eiko once again.

He only hoped no more "mishaps" happened…that the rest of the plan was what Shitakahari was intending…

Finally, he exhaled. "…Very well. I suppose we have no choice, as dangerous as it might be. I'll go myself this time. We depart in one hour. Hopefully, this reprieve in the weather will last…"

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Since I'm confusing people with some of the wording and phrases I'm using, I thought I'd explain a tad more for some of it.

* - In European culture there is the "man in the moon", but in Japanese culture the figure the craters make appears to be a large rabbit.

** - "Tsukuyomi-no-mikoto" is the moon god in Japanese mythology.


	7. The Jido's Reunion

_One Day Later_

* * *

Jiro really couldn't explain what was going on inside that ice pagoda. All he knew was that he was the kind of man who lived by his emotions and feelings, and as a result…he was having a great time. He had no idea why. He liked roaming out and around wherever he pleased. He liked wide-open spaces and flexing his power. He liked _freedom_. And yet…he found himself just as happy here being around Eiko. One might say she was growing on him, but the truth was, he realized, something far greater than that… From the very moment he first saw Eiko's face following their "skirmish", something inside his heart had stirred…

…for joy.

Eiko was doing better all the time. He had been serious about her needing a lot of time to get perfect control over her power, but she had grown so much more at ease from their first encounter that she was making "giant steps". When calm, her power effectively had no limit. Jiro wasn't even sure how to test her. What he had seen so far, he realized, was just a fraction of her potential. The original fears that Nakamura had were not only well-founded…they were far too small. No matter how much power Eiko put out, he never saw her straining or winded. He began to believe it would be nothing for her to freeze the entire planet. The only reason Arender-ken hadn't immediately turned into a frozen wasteland was because the entire action was involuntary. Nothing was stopping her from doing it.

Still, her power was growing more and more stable. By now, her soul was so "calmed" that Jiro wouldn't be surprised if Arender-ken's winter was beginning to recede. He was even beginning to try to purposely "agitate" her to start trying her calm techniques. She was a bit rough around the edges…but she was getting better. All of this was probably a good thing…because he realized that the third day had come and gone. Even assuming that Nakamura gave them full day periods, he wasn't sure if it was too late for them to go back…

Yet he realized he didn't really care that much. After all…living in a land of nothing but snow and ice sort of appealed to him so long as he could "get out". This place was a playground to him, and Eiko…was a great "playmate". Unable to use his own power to engage in his normal antics, he instead encouraged her to let go and have more fun, and she was getting more and more talented. While the first night he had to encourage her to even get started, she was more "forthcoming" the second day. She was smiling more. Jiro liked seeing her smile. In fact…something inside his heart was more overjoyed at seeing that than he hoped he ever would…

There was only one thing that made him a bit uncomfortable…

It had happened last night, after the two had just enjoyed an even better night under the nearly-full moon, a bit more waxed. They had "played harder" than the night before and both of them were actually sweating, if it was possible to even sweat in the frosty landscape. Eiko was vibrant and full of energy, but Jiro, in spite of his own smiling, was yawning and trembling a bit. On the way in, Eiko looked to him and noticed.

"Are you alright?"

The pale man managed a smile. "Yeah, just rather hungry…and sleepy…after, you know, messing around this much for two days…"

Eiko hesitated at that. She held for a long time as they walked inside. Finally, with a bit of reluctance, she held her hand out to the floor.

A moment later, a very long futon mattress, about fifty feet, generated on the floor with two sets of covers and pillows. Jiro raised an eyebrow, as Eiko, turning red again, got on one side and drew aside the covers. She motioned to him. He hesitated a second, but then went over to his side and touched the covers as well.

Just like fabric. He was sure to a mere mortal it would be a bit frigid, like wrapping yourself in a blanket of ice. But to him, it was just soft covers, so he smiled and slipped in.

"_That_ side." Eiko stated, gesturing her power to make a line down the mattress. "Not _one_ inch closer."

He snickered. "Not a problem. I know full well you come to me, not the other way around."

The noblewoman's mouth nearly dropped. "Wh-what?!"

He chuckled. "Kidding, kidding!"

She did something rather unexpected after that, at least since Jiro had met her. She held as she slowly calmed down…and then she gave him a smile before slipping in.

It was at that moment as Jiro himself was getting into the futon that he felt a different sensation. It wasn't just the smile, which made his heart suddenly surge and beat faster. It was something more. For a brief moment…he looked at that smile she gave him…and somewhere in his mind he got a sensation that he had actually seen it before…

And when that came, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

Pain.

Some of it actually felt like physical pain, it was so potent. Like a knife in his heart. But more of it was sadness. Sadness like he had a deep emotional wound somewhere that had just been pried open and had a pinch of salt thrown into it. It almost made him gasp. Eiko didn't see it, and Jiro himself didn't understand it…but he felt tears welling in his eyes…

One even ran down his cheek before he even knew it.

As a result, Jiro was not his normally jovial self as he lay down in the bed. Eiko didn't notice. In spite of her claims, she was tired from having been alert and so many emotions for so long, and she dropped off almost immediately. Yet as the young man stared at her, his own smile was gone.

Who _was_ this woman? And what was her presence doing to him?

* * *

It took Jiro about four hours to fall asleep…and it was practically dawn by the time he did. He realized he couldn't have gotten more than an hour of it. However, an hour was enough to mitigate a lot of his fear. As a result, he was calmer and more at ease, more his "casual, happy" self. Nevertheless, due to the lack of sleep, it was Eiko stirring first as the sun reached up and touched her ice palace, causing light to glitter and reflect throughout the structure, that ended up waking him.

"Mmm…" She said as she leaned up out of bed and stretched her arms. She looked around a bit, and saw Jiro had stayed on his side. She smiled at this…although, if one could look inside her mind, they would have found there was just the slightest hint of disappointment somewhere deep inside… She called out in a bit of a whisper.

"Jiro? You awake?"

Even if he hadn't been in one of his "light sleep" moments, Jiro would have awoken anyway. That was just the kind of person he was sleeping on the road. His eyes cracked open, and he gave her a smile.

"Yup."

"Sleep well?"

He gave a stretch. "Well…anyone other than me and you probably would have thought sleeping like this was like burying yourself in a snowpile…but yeah, it was great to me. Just let me get out before you do or this thing will turn to ice and I'll have to break it to get out."

Eiko did something he never would have expected her a few days ago, and actually let out a small giggle as he got out. Only once he was free did she get out as well. However, Jiro distinctly wobbled on pulling himself out, not only in the knees but actually wavering a bit, looking like he nearly lost balance. Eiko had barely managed to rise herself before she looked concerned.

"Are you still not feeling well?"

"Heh…I went five days without food once…but even going one day isn't much fun…" He answered. "Two and I'm really starting to feel it…"

The noblewoman hesitated on hearing that, realization coming over her as she realized that, unlike her, Jiro needed to eat regularly. And about two days had gone by without him having anything. She looked rather nervous at that.

"We…should really get you something to eat…" She said, a bit hesitantly after a moment. A bit later, however, she sighed. "…But there's no food here for miles. The only food is back in Arender-ken…and you said you'd be in trouble if you went back there now…"

"Oh…that won't be a problem." Jiro answered. "I can sneak in, grab something, and get out…but…" He exhaled a bit. "…I don't think I'll be crossing that bridge again."

Eiko blanched at that. "Oh…that's right…" She murmured in response. After a moment, she lit up. "You know, there's a trail down and through it you can go single-file easily…" She held after saying that, and shrank back again. "But…that'll take a day and a half on foot…plus another day to head back to Arender-ken…"

"Don't have much choice…" Jiro said as he straightened and rubbed his stomach. "It's not going to get any shorter just standing around here… Looks like you'll have a couple days of practice all to yourself up here…more like a week, really, but still."

Eiko didn't seem to like the sound of that. It wasn't just the danger to Jiro, however…how he might collapse on the way back. That's what the pale young man assumed it was. However, it was a bit more. She realized she didn't want to go back to being alone in the ice pagoda… Of course, she wondered why not. She had been alright being alone before. It hadn't been the most fun, but she had withstood it. She was strong enough to "tolerate" the solitude. And yet…the thought of being apart from Jiro made it seem so much more…lonelier…

Before she really knew what she was doing, she looked up again.

"…You could fly pretty fast when I first met you. How long would it take you to fly back?"

Jiro froze in the middle of rubbing his stomach, looking up in response.

"…That's a moot question. I can't even hover without my staff."

The woman held. She clenched and relaxed her hands a few times. She looked up to the wall nearby, where the staff was still locked in ice. She stared at it for a full ten seconds. Finally, she looked back to him.

"…Could you be back today if you _could_ fly?"

Jiro stared at her for a few moments. He realized what she was starting to get at.

"…No question about it." He answered confidently. "You weren't seeing me at full speed most of that fight."

Eiko hesitated a bit longer. She looked to Jiro and the staff a few times, thinking hard the whole while. At last, however, she exhaled…and held up her hand and made a gesture.

The ice evaporated around from the staff, exposing it.

Jiro lit up a bit. His lips actually parted a bit, and he looked to Eiko. She swallowed a bit, but then stood up tall and folded her hands. After a moment, she gave a bit of a weak smile and a shrug.

"I'm going to have to see whether or not I can trust you completely sooner or later. It might as well be now."

Two days ago, Jiro would have snatched the staff up like a favored toy and might have even hugged it. But seeing how hard of a decision this had been for Eiko, he found himself…hesitating.

"…You sure, my lady?"

She looked up to him. "You said you wouldn't attack me again, right?"

"Yeah, but I can see this is obviously not the decision you're the most 'comfortable' with." He answered. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She gave a light snicker. "I may not 'have my soul under control', but I'm calm enough for that."

Jiro, for once, didn't smile. "That's not what I meant."

Eiko blinked on hearing that, her smile fading a bit.

"I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. If you don't want to give me my staff back yet, I can wait."

The noblewoman blinked a few times. Her own mouth loosened. Hearing that from Jiro, out of the blue, in this current state…she began to realize something. Before she suspected that all of his good nature, laughs, and games were attempts to sweet-talk her or flatter her. Yet when she heard this in perfect seriousness, for the first time…she took the comment at face value. Something genuinely concerned with her.

She visibly turned red yet again, the deepest shade yet, and bowed her head.

"…I am grateful for your concern, Jiro…but please take it. I won't let you make that trip on foot. Even if you're immune to cold, that's asking you to pass out from hunger. You could have gotten food a lot sooner if not for me."

Jiro blinked a time or two. He hesitated here as well. The way Eiko said this, even with the proper "wording", didn't sound like a "noble" or a "dignified queen" or a "daimyo". It sounded like a regular woman…a friend…and someone with genuine concern for him. He didn't see it, but on his devil-may-care expression…he turned a bit red himself.

"…In that case, my thanks, my lady." Jiro answered. And then, he not only bowed to Eiko…he actually dropped to one knee and lowered his head to her. He couldn't remember the last noble he had done that for. At any rate, he rose soon after, and then went over to the wall and plucked his staff out. He already felt more "alive" holding it, and soon it made him smile again. He looked to Eiko afterward. She was standing there, hands folded and reserved, but in spite of the situation and her anxiety, she actually smiled a bit to see him with his staff again.

He balanced it over one shoulder and began to walk for the doors.

"I'll be back as soon as possible. Any requests for you?"

Eiko smiled a bit more and snickered. "Oh no…of course not…other than to see how Arender-ken is doing…and how bad the winter is."

"I'm sure it's lessened. You're so much 'quieter' now than you were when we met."

"…Just the same, please tell me if things are getting better."

"I will. Good day, my lady."

* * *

Jiro felt surprisingly energetic on leaving. Part of it, he supposed, was that he was glad to have his staff back and, with it, his full range of powers. Normally he'd cover the countryside in an inch of snow to celebrate…but seeing as he was on top of a snow-blanketed mountain range it was somewhat superfluous. Instead, he enjoyed the sensation of being free to fly again. In spite of that, however, he realized he barely did a few maneuvers before he started heading south once again, surprisingly "on task".

A bit to his surprise…he wanted to be there and back as soon as possible. And he could only think of one thing now that he had his staff back.

_Eiko hasn't seen _anything_ yet. Wait until I take her for one of my personal "slides". Her heart will be in her throat after that… It'll be more fun than she thought she could ever have in her entire life! Anyway…I'm sure things are doing better further south. I should still pick up something for her. I wouldn't feel good just stuffing my face in front of her. She obviously _can_ eat, after all…she just doesn't…_

"Jiro!"

For a brief moment, while flying along, the young man looked up in surprise, genuinely surprised that he had just been called. After that, he looked down below him to the source, but even as he did…his mind began to "click".

Jiro had just crossed around the narrow walkway to the snowfield expanse beyond. Already, from here, the ice pagoda had disappeared. What made it look even more like a regular "landscape" was that Eiko had pulled in her guards except for a sentry or two since Jiro had arrived, just standing on the highest peaks and watching for anything out of the ordinary. Climbing up the peak, navigating around larger rocks, were a group of travelers…ones he knew very well. The noblewoman in their midst was waving at him.

From this distance, Jiro let out a grimace. He couldn't believe his stupidity. How exactly had he managed to completely forget about the others?! That was inconceivable… They were part of the reason he was here! Pretty much the only people who knew him personally! Yet he realized it had happened none the less. He didn't remember them at all yesterday. In fact…he found his mind felt "awkward", like he couldn't really remember of think of _anything_ while he was around Eiko… It was only because she kept mentioning Arender-ken that he even recalled why he had come there in the first place.

And…to be honest…even though he said he would train her just to let her go back home…he didn't feel like that was his reason more than once…

He felt there _was_ a reason, to be sure…but it was something hazy…hard to think of…

At any rate, he swallowed a lump in his throat. They couldn't be happy about this… With that in mind, he lowered himself to the ground.

Sure enough, as he got closer, the others looked a bit tired. They had been out hiking up a snow-covered mountain for days, after all. They didn't look blasted with frost, but they definitely looked like they had seen better days. Takara, in particular, looked rather cold, and Satoru was panting from having to dig through the thick snow every step of the way. Nobuyuki seemed a bit more pleased…but, similar to Takeshi, who had a more critical and cross look, he looked to Jiro was a stare that said: "Where in the world were you?" Only Akiko still seemed energetic, as if nothing could keep it back. And so did…

…A snowman?

He waved eagerly at him as he showed up and came in for a landing. "Hey Jiro! Look everyone, it's Jiro! Yay! Jiro is back!" He continued to stand there and grin for a moment. "…Who's Jiro?"

"Where have you been?" Takeshi nearly snapped. "We haven't seen hide nor hair of you for days! We were starting to think you got yourself killed! Don't tell me you were messing around having a 'snow day' for the past two days while we were trying to get through that chasm back there! We could have used you flying!"

"Were you captured?" Nobuyuki answered. "Or have you already defeated Eiko?"

Akiko went a bit wide-eyed at that. "You didn't hurt her, did you? She's still alright, right?"

Jiro was taken aback at this flood of questions…but one thing in common that he saw on everyone's face was their mixture of confusion about where he had been for two days, and what he was doing here now. He swallowed a bit at that. He tried to calm himself a bit before he rubbed the back of his head.

"Er…well…it's, um…kind of a long story."

"Mind telling us what it is?" Takeshi grumbled in response. "After having to thaw my ears out two days in a row I'd like to know why…or at least where she is."

"Yeah, Jiro." Takara joined in. "I've barely been able to fly in this temperature. Are we almost to Eiko's?"

The pale young man hesitated a moment, but then nodded. "Well…yeah, it's just a bit ahead, but-"

"Alright!" Akiko cheered. She motioned to the others and nearly took off right away. "Come on! Just a little further!"

"Wait, wait!" Takeshi called, interrupting. "If Jiro already took care of things, I want to know. We're already past the three day deadline so we need to head back right now if we can."

"So…what is it, Jiro?" Nobuyuki asked, crossing his arms. "What happened to you during that fight?"

"The only thing that seemed natural at the time." Jiro answered with a shrug. "I surrendered."

The rest of the group looked stunned.

"What?"

"She caught me off guard and she ended up being pretty strong… She knocked most of the fight out of me before I was able to get going. So…I ended up surrendering to her."

Takeshi grit his teeth. "You didn't think to just 'fly away'?" He paused a moment, then narrowed his gaze. "…Wait a second. If you surrendered to her, does that mean you broke out of some sort of ice dungeon?"

Jiro sheepishly grinned a bit himself and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, uh…not exactly. I kind of…went back with her to her ice palace."

Now the others of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were really stunned.

"You went _back _with who we're supposed to be fighting?" Takara answered.

"Relax!" Jiro answered. "I only did it so I could try and learn her weaknesses." Yet even as these words came out, they sounded uncertain…hesitant…and that was a fact that those listening soon picked up on.

"…You tried to learn her weaknesses for _two_ days." Takeshi answered, in a tone of disbelief, his eyes still narrow. "What exactly did you find out? A vulnerable spot?" His teeth clenched a bit.

"…Or how much you like the idea of a world covered in snow?"

Everyone looked to the Ghost Hare at this. "Takeshi?" Takara began to say.

"What are you-" Akiko started to chime in.

However, they were cut off as he barked at Jiro. "You know, _you_ never took an oath to bushido, kenshusei. And we all know you're the biggest slacker here…the one who likes having fun at the expense of others…"

"Hey!" The young man retorted, his own face tightening at that. "That's crazy! I like having fun, but I don't want people to suffer for it! I've been busy trying to find out the scope of her power, that's all! And hearing her side of the story! How she got these powers and all that."

Akiko was getting more and more uncomfortable hearing all of this talk, and she showed it. After all, this was getting into the realm of "hurting her sister" again. However, everyone was so focused on Jiro that they didn't notice it…

Takeshi rolled his eyes and groaned. "So, _now_ it makes sense…" He grumbled, before looking to him angrily again. "It _wasn't_ you liking to have a 'good time'…it was you kicking everyone else into the garbage while you tried to handle your own problem from your memory loss. You saw what she could tell you about your power while you let people in that district down there freeze."

This made the young man even more indignant. "It wasn't like that at all! I don't appreciate you accusing me of it if it was! I care as much about the people of Arender-ken as the rest of you!"

"If that's true, then why didn't you just knock her out the first chance you got!" Takeshi shouted. "You know what's been happening over the past two days while you're been messing around with her? We've been hiking through this whole landscape, risking avalanches and falling into cracks and freezing to death! And even if you think _we_ can take it, what about Akiko? She's just a human! What about everyone back in Arender-ken? Every minute you wasted up there is another minute that winter got worse! And you didn't happen to forget about our little three day deadline, did you? A deadline that expired?"

Jiro paused on hearing all of this. He was ashamed to admit he hadn't really thought of most of that. He had been so intent on Eiko, so dominated by thinking of her, that he had almost forgotten the rest. Not just Arender-ken…but his friends and comrades. Even if he was willing to "stomach" the three days, were they?

Nobuyuki inhaled and exhaled. "Takeshi has the point that is good, Jiro. Many are still suffering in Arender-ken. We must end the winter as soon as possible or it won't matter. The growing season will be ruined. And it gets colder and stormier by the day."

"No it doesn't." Jiro spoke up again at this. "It's getting better."

This made all four members pause. Satoru quirked an eyebrow, and then gave a jingle.

On hearing the jingle, Jiro paled a bit. He shrank back a little.

Takara's own brow furrowed. "…He makes a good point. How _do_ you know that? Did you fly back down the mountain without us knowing about it?"

Jiro swallowed. "I…I…"

Takeshi frowned. "Go on, kenshusei." He said slowly. "You said that with some conviction."

Jiro held a bit more, and then swallowed. He looked away and dug his foot into the ground.

"I…kind of…well…I've been teaching her."

The other four looked stunned.

"You…you what?!" Takara nearly exclaimed.

"Look, I told you!" He insisted, raising his head again. "What happened back at Arender-ken Castle was an accident! She lost control of her power! She-"

"She _murdered_ people, Jiro!" Nobuyuki suddenly spoke up. "You cannot just 'look the other way' on that or ignore it! She has to answer for her crimes, accident or no! She can't hide here! Especially when her power is hurting other people!"

"And you just went and trained her to be even _more_ of a threat to us?!" Takeshi shouted. "Just whose side are you on, anyway?! Do you _want_ this winter to never end?!"

Jiro was feeling more and more uneasy. He didn't like these four, who he considered his only friends, growing so angry and hurt about it. Again, he tried to defend himself. "Of course I want it to end!"

"I really wonder…" Takeshi snorted.

"I do!" He retorted. "And it _will_ end once she learns to control her power! That's all I wanted to do!"

"But how long will that take, Jiro?" Takara spoke up anxiously. "You're alright up here…but we're on the brink of frostbite because we're losing the battle with drying our clothes. We're almost out of the food we brought. It's going to be the same _everywhere._ I don't want to hurt her if we can avoid it…but people are suffering. Maybe _dying_. And you did all of this without even telling us."

"Jiro…you and I might be able to survive up here," Nobuyuki went on. "But Takara, Takeshi, and Satoru cannot…and neither can Akiko. We cannot return to Arender-ken without having succeeded. If we do, we'll all be marked men and women again. They may even accuse us of working with Eiko. You needed to at least _tell_ us that this was what you had in mind. It would have been safer all along to just render her unconscious and bring her back down bound…"

"No!"

Jiro's sudden outburst alarmed him as much as everyone else's. His voice actually sharply echoed through the snowy valley for a moment. It was enough to make everyone recoil, even Takeshi.

However, the man held there only a moment, before he leaned in a bit more. He spoke slower.

"…So that's _really_ it…" He stated. "…You fell for her, didn't you?"

The pale young man blinked a bit. His lip quivered. His sound caught in his throat. He swallowed and looked to one side quickly. "I…I don't know what you're talking about…"

However, Takeshi seized him by the shoulder and spun him back around to face him. And in spite of Jiro's normal attitude, he couldn't fight him back or avoid looking him in the eye. The bunny-eared man went a bit wide-eyed.

"…It's true. It's all true. You love her. _That's_ why you've been up here two days! That's why you hung us out to dry and left Arender-ken to freeze! The two of you living up here in your own little 'winter wonderland' while the rest of the world turns into your own personal playground!"

"No!" Jiro shot back, managing to wrench free, but his voice a bit weaker. "I told you…I care about Arender-ken! I do!"

_…__Don't I?_

_All I've been thinking about is Eiko… All I can see in my dreams is Eiko… All I fantasize about is her when I'm playing… All I focus on is her smile, her eyes, and her lips when she's practicing… My heart always feels so warm whenever she's around… What if…what if I didn't just 'magically forget' about everything else when I was with her? What if I didn't want to remember? What if I didn't _care_?_

Jiro looked to the others, hoping for support…for votes of confidence. However, in light of his disappearance, and coming back without a scratch on him, not to mention all he said…he saw none. Nobuyuki looked rather grim. He showed a bit of pity in his eyes, but not much. Takara actually showed hurt…like he had betrayed them. That look replaced any feelings of "fun" and "lightheartedness" in his chest with feelings of pain and guilt. He could have taught Eiko back in Arender-ken. He could have knocked her out long ago. But no…he stayed up here. Why? So he could enjoy a frozen world…and being secluded just with her?

A tingling rang out. In the silence, it was easy to hear. Jiro didn't look to Satoru right away, but the others did.

"…What is it, little friend?" Nobuyuki asked after a moment.

The Sand Moth opened his palms and gathered some of his golden dust into them…forming small statues of Akiko and Osamu.

Takara, still a bit stunned at everything, blinked a few times. "…Those two? Why would you make statues of…"

She slowed as he looked up and around. The others did too, and they soon all got the same surprise.

Akiko and Osamu were gone.

* * *

"Oh…why'd we have to leave so soon, Akiko?" Osamu innocently asked from his "position". "They were just starting to get louder. I wanted to see how loud _I_ could get!"

"Osamu, you heard what they said!" She called back. "They're here to get my sister! I can't let them do it! Jiro sounds like he was lulling her into a false security for two days now! I've got to get to her first!"

"But…I thought Nobuyuki and the others were your friends, Akiko?" The snowman innocently asked, genuinely sounding confused.

"That may be, but they're still ronin and they were still brought in to go after Eiko!" Akiko shouted back. "They told me they were going to give her a chance, but now they sound like they just want to 'take care of her' and be done with it without letting me talk to her first! Jiro even admitted she said the whole thing was an accident, just like I knew it was from the start, and they _still_ want to take her back by force! I can't trust that they'll let me talk to her unless I go there first! Besides…if she sees them all coming up with me and realizes they're here to attack her, she'll freak out for sure!"

Osamu blinked for a moment, and then finally chuckled. "I lost track of that a while ago…but I'm just glad we're on our way to see Eiko!"

At the moment, the snowman had revealed an interesting "ability" that was helpful. Shortly after the discussion had gotten more heated, Akiko had begun to sneak away from the others, meaning to run on ahead. She wouldn't have had a chance normally, but soon Osamu began to run after her on seeing her go. Afraid he'd blow her cover, she whispered to him that she needed to get away in a hurry. In response, much to her surprise, the snowman flattened himself on the ground and began to slide across it like a sledge. It didn't even matter that they were going uphill…he still managed to do so. He offered to give Akiko a ride and, not really able to afford to refuse, she got on, and soon had been racing away from the still-arguing Jido-no-Hogu-sha as she struggled to balance on him while standing up. It was a bit nerve-wracking at first...but not too far on, it became a bit fun and exciting.

After a few moments, she looked around. "Osamu, this is great! How come you didn't do it yesterday while we were going through the chasm?"

He looked up a bit from his position, on his "belly" in the snow. "…Do what?"

"…Slide on the snow like this."

"I can slide on the snow?" He asked innocently, and then looked around him. "Oh yeah! I guess I can! That's right… Eiko made me so I could go places in a hurry!"

Akiko blinked. "So…why didn't you do it yesterday?"

"I can't do it on anything but snow. Not ice. Plus, if I took you along, wouldn't that not be fair to everyone else? In fact…maybe I should head back right now and let them get a turn…"

"No, no Osamu!" Akiko quickly interjected, her voice rising a bit, before quickly calming down. "Just…just get me to Eiko first, alright? She's not much farther, is she?"

"Nope! Not at all!" Osamu cheered. "Um…unless you think about five minutes from now is 'far'. Because in that case, yes, she's much farther."

"Great!" Akiko shouted back, even as she wobbled a bit as Osamu went a bit to a "side slide". She made sure to hang in a bit more there…because they were getting close to the edge of one of the incoming rock peaks, and falling would mean a rather nasty…if not fatal…spill. "Keep it up! I just need to be alone with her for a minute…"

* * *

To be honest, Itachitoko hated being outside, and he _especially_ hated having to go up this snow-covered mountain, freezing his rear end off, huddled under his thick clothes on top of his horse. He had secretly hoped that Shitakarahi would be able to effect his "reward" without him needing to be physically present…but such was not to be. He had to be there in person for the whole thing, including in her face. The thought made him genuinely nervous. He didn't realize he'd have to be so close to the queen… If he didn't do this "just right", the queen would kill him before Shitakarahi had a chance to be enraged at him…

He was sticking to the center of a company of about twenty men all together, all on horseback. The animals were doing surprisingly well…or perhaps not-so-surprisingly as the winter was continuing to lessen. Although the mountains remained perpetually frozen, they weren't nearly as cold or stormy as they had been when the Jido-no-Hogu-sha had left. In fact, with the sun out, they were actually more picturesque and beautiful. Such things were lost on Itachitoko. He wasn't much of a "nature-lover"…and he _especially_ hated having to be out in the cold. It was such a good thing that he'd never have to see a flake of snow ever again after this…

Nakamura was taking the lead, actually riding ahead slightly. He wanted to make sure that he got the first "sneak attack" if there were any. Hachiro was in the lead of the others. Both of them as well as the men with them were in full combat regalia, preparing for quite the battle. And all of them, from the greatest to the least, had a touch of anxiety. The last expedition to go this far north after Eiko had been stopped many miles to the south, beset by her power and constructs. Now…everything was clear. The thought had occurred that the Jido no Hogu-sha may have succeeded, but Itachitoko "reassured" them that she hadn't. As a result, they were more nervous for a surprise…

However, now the group found themselves with a new obstacle. Although the horses had somehow managed to make good time through the thick snow without stepping on obstacles or into holes to break their legs, this next challenge wasn't going to be so easy. Itachitoko saw it as they neared…one arch to what had to be a massive bridge. As he got a little closer, he noticed that it spanned a massive, deep, rocky and jagged chasm, that stretched on and on in either direction.

Yet Nakamura pulled his horse to a halt, and the others soon drew to a stop as well as they reached him. There was a rather good reason for that…only half of the bridge was standing. The other half had already fallen.

Hachiro pulled closer to Nakamura before halting his own horse. As for Itachitoko, he came forward a bit more and then stopped as well…but in an area in between the two of them and the rest of the men. Close enough to hear everything, at any rate.

"Seems like she figured _someone_ would be coming…" Nakamura grumbled. "No way across now."

Hachiro looked about a bit, and then pointed. "It looks like there may be a trail there we can take."

"Across this?" The lord responded, pointing ahead to the vast uneven and icy terrain. "Nothing but razor sharp rocks and icicles. It would take forever. I don't think the horses can even make it all the way through."

"What other choice do we have?" Hachiro asked. "The alternative is to go around for miles…and there's no telling we'll be able to do it even if we do. It might not be able to cross this without crossing a mountaintop…"

Itachitoko heard all of this, and frowned under his hawklike nose. More delays… He couldn't afford any more of those. They had to get to Eiko now. They had to cross this obstacle now. However…how could they possibly do it?

Well…he supposed being the onmyoji for the shogun, he should have been able to come up with _something_…although no one really expected him too. After all, other than divination and some "magic tricks", no one expected him to be capable of much of anything.

However…perhaps he still did have a source.

While the men behind them waited for them to be finished, and Nakamura and Hachiro continued to talk and debate their options, the twisted man made sure no one was paying attention, and then lowered his head, as if huddling down closer to the horse. But underneath his thick robes, his hands went for his sides…and soon emerged with the small idol. Rather than expose it, he kept it hidden, but spoke to it none the less.

"My lord Shitakarahi…" He whispered.

There was a moment of silence, before a voice spoke low and accented from the stone. In truth, the onmyoji was a bit relieved. His "partner" had already regained enough power to manifest his voice without a ritual. It was getting close to time…

_"__You had better have a good reason for this. I told you not to disturb me again until you finished with the queen."_

Itachitoko felt a bit of anxiety on hearing his tone and wording, and swallowed slightly. "…Forgive me, my lord, but there is a problem. We are on our way to deal with Lady Eiko right now, but she took precautions to make herself inaccessible. We have to cross a chasm to get to her, and the bridge she made to get across has been torn down."

_"__And what concern of this is mine?"_

"It could take days to get around…assuming that's even possible. During which time anything could happen with her…"

_"__And do you think I can just 'do something about it'?" _The voice retorted. _"If I could manifest my power so easily, do you think I would waste my time with humans such as you?"_

Itachitoko hesitated, looking a bit uncomfortable, but maintained it. "My lord, if you can't get us across, then there's no way for me to carry out my end of the deal…"

A growl sounded, one that made the onmyoji shudder. _"I hope you aren't trying to 'collect early' on your end. Even if I was willing to go along with that, I'm not in a position to give you our half of the agreement until you've dealt with the woman. But very well… Just keep in mind that this is the _only_ help you will receive from me until you succeed, so don't bother asking again."_

The idol went silent…but Itachitoko could feel heat rising from it. Power was beginning to flow out of it…and power so strong that his hands were almost immediately burned. He had to struggle not to yelp at it, and quickly put the idol underneath his cloth again and hid it once more. Even so, however, the heat continued to grow under the fabric. Before things could get too bad, he quickly put on a fake face as fast as he could and straightened in the saddle.

"S-S-Stand back, Lord Nakamura!" He suddenly proclaimed, trying to sound like he was confident and knew what he was doing. "I shall get us inside! I'm not the head court onmyoji for nothing!"

Nakamura and Hachiro both turned and looked to him, as did the rest of the men. They were all a bit puzzled. They had enough faith in the emperor's choice not to question him, but at the same time they didn't know what exactly he was supposed to do. It's not like he had much in the way of power. Nevertheless, Itachitoko was already advancing, and that caused the two men to pull to the sides as he reached the edge of the chasm. He tried to look bold and powerful…while at the same time hiding his anxiety and fear at the heat growing behind him. It would soon start burning him even through the clothing. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat, said a deal of "babble" that he would say during some of his normal rituals, and then aimed his palms ahead of him…wondering what would happen, but making it look like he was doing something none the less. Nothing occurred right away, and for a moment he swallowed at the thought he had moved too soon…

Then…it happened, and he had to struggle not to show his own shock as everyone else's jaws dropped.

The earth suddenly began to shake violently. It was originating deep in the bottom of the chasm, but it spread all the way to the top of it and through to the men and their animals. Soon, the horses began to trot in place and whinny, clearly scared of what was happening, and the men had to struggle to keep them in place…including Itachitoko. As the quaking grew worse, bits of the edge of the chasm began to break off and fall inside, along with parts of the ruined bridge as well as the newer one. Cracks appeared in the snowy landscape. Nakamura, looking around in shock, feared there would be an avalanche…

Yet what happened next was more shocking. Suddenly, a great number of ice pillars and bits of rock within the chasm were blown aside or outright melted, and to the astonishment of everyone…a tall "column" of raw magma and fire burst forth from the earth itself and shot toward the heavens. Tremendous heat billowed over all of them, causing a massive amount of steam to arise as it vaporized the snow and rose higher and higher. Now, the horses really did panic. One threw a rider and bolted for it. The others went away from the chasm, unable to be braced for it. Itachitoko himself was thrown to one side, barely holding onto the saddle. The lava continued to rise higher and higher, all the way until it reached the level of the valley. Once there, it held for a moment, letting the ice around it continue to melt on it and the cold wind blast it.

The end result was that the magma pillar rapidly cooled. Being battered by icy winds and surrounded by liquid water turning to steam, it wasn't long before it became gray and solidified. In only two short minutes, whatever was "holding the flow up" must have ceased, leaving a tower of magma rock in its wake. It continued to smoke and cool, and from here the men could still feel the heat radiating off of it…but it slowly turned to stone once again. Now, there was a "rock bridge" spanning the chasm. It needed to cool a bit longer, but soon, in the icy weather that seemed to try to "maintain its coldness" by responding with more cold, it would hold the horses and the riders.

With that in mind, Itachitoko struggled not to sweat or tremble as he went back into his saddle. Such was merely a single sample of Shitakarahi's power? It terrified him…but he reminded himself that soon such power would be his to command. No man or army in the world would be able to stand against it. He let that fuel his greed and, in turn, his bravery as he steadied himself. Swallowing, he smoothed his body out and then spoke again.

"Well now…it seems we have a bridge. In just a bit longer it will be cool enough to cross, and we can proceed."

No one said anything at first in response. Instead, both Nakamura and Hachiro looked to Itachitoko in open mouthed shock, while the rest of the men still did so from afar.

"…How in the world did you manage that?" Nakamura asked.

"Oh, my lord," The onmyoji answered with a hand wave. "Such a trifle is simple for the emperor's court onmyoji."

Nakamura didn't change. In fact, his look grew a bit darker.

"No…no, it _isn't_." He retorted.

Itachitoko, for a moment, felt fear sink into his expression. However, he coughed and made himself look more indignant, and frowned. "Wh…what? How could you say such a thing? Do you doubt my power?"

"I do." Nakamura answered, his gaze turning to probing. "I have seen you in the court of both the emperor and the shogun, Lord Itachitoko. And all I have ever seen from you is what the other onmyoji do. You aren't even that talented at crafting shinigami to do your bidding. The one I saw you make with my own eyes actually teased and taunted you. I've seen no less than two dozen more talented than you in my time. And _none_ of them ever managed magic like this."

Itachitoko scowled. "I don't care much for your insolent, doubtful tone, Lord Nakamura. I saw no need to flex the full measure of my power before you in the court. And I don't appreciate your insinuations. And just what exactly _are_ you insinuating in the first place, my lord? Are you trying to call me a fraud? I may not outrank you, but if you think for one moment I won't complain to the emperor of this slander…"

"My lords, please!" Hachiro suddenly interjected, pulling his horse up in between the two, breaking the dark look Nakamura was now giving Itachitoko and the sneer the latter was giving the former. "There's no time for this! Lady Akiko could be in grave danger! We haven't seen her yet and we're nearly to the top of the mountain! If the bridge is stable, can we cross now?"

The two noble were silent for a moment. Both continued to glare a bit longer. Nakamura eventually broke the silence.

"…It's _your_ bridge, Lord Itachitoko. So it's only fair that you cross first to show us all how safe it is."

It was unmistakable. In spite of his best efforts…for a moment…the onmyoji's face blanched and showed genuine fear. He got it under control a moment later, but there was no way Nakamura missed it. Swallowing hard, he swept the reins around and began to move to the edge.

"Very well…follow my lead."

That ended up being harder than he thought. He was scared of the bridge, wondering if it was cool enough to where if he stepped in the wrong place he couldn't break through, sink into still-flowing magma, and then be incinerated. But his horse was another matter entirely. It didn't want to risk it at all. And not much of a "rider", used to normally going from place to place in a litter, he had considerable trouble forcing the animal to start walking out on it. It took almost five whole minutes before he was able to do so…especially since he only reluctantly tried to force the horse onto it. The whole time, he could feel the gaze of Nakamura and the others on him…though especially Nakamura. Yet at last, he managed to get the beast walking across.

No one else moved until Itachitoko finally got over to the other side, and he paled and swallowed the whole way, barely able to keep his horse moving through its own fear mixed with his. He tried not to look on either side of the bridge at the steep fall down to oblivion…to say nothing of being impaled on the rocks. Yet at long last he made it to the snow on the other side, and quickly he went over a bit more, and then waved to the opposite side. It was mostly an empty gesture. From this far, he only looked like a tiny dot, but they could at least see him moving away from the bridge before they realized it was safe to cross.

All the while, he showed his unbridled hate for Nakamura on his face.

_Damned bastard… He's on to me! Damnit, now I _have_ to succeed! I have to get my reward before they can deal with Eiko, or I'll be doomed at the shogun's hand if not at Shitakarahi's!_

Quickly, he reached behind him to a different pocket, and made sure he still had something else from his 'special trunk' inside. That one was more important…

_Enjoy intimidating me while you can, Nakamura… You'll be the first once I have my new power…_

* * *

Eiko didn't know what had caused it. After all, she was far from the area of the "quake", and she hadn't heard the magma flow or the eruption. If she looked really carefully from the highest tower of her palace, she might have been able to see enough around the rock pinnacle that blocked it from view to see a plume of steam, and she might have not mistaken it for a wisp of cloud. However, she had done none of that, and so had no external awareness of the source of the disturbance.

All she knew…was that suddenly a nameless fear had gripped her heart so violently that she collapsed to one knee and had to reach out her hand to stop herself.

Eiko nearly felt like she had been choked for a moment. She soon began to gasp, but her eyes remained wide. The fear was so strong that it made her sweat, filling her with terror. She was so aghast by it that she didn't realize that, in spite of her terror, the room stayed fairly the same. When the fear wasn't originating inside of her, she was able to mitigate it more. This fear was of something else besides her and her power…something innate to her that made her feel as if it was something much _worse_ than the thought of eternal winter…

But…what?

She didn't know. As the feeling of terror ebbed, leaving her feeling pretty much the "same" as before, although still stricken with unease at what had just caused that, she only realized that she knew something else. For some reason…she could "feel" where the source of this fear was. She somehow knew it as innately as how she knew her own power. And it was coming from the south…where she had built her ice bridge and subsequently had it torn down.

With that in mind, the woman pushed herself up again back onto her feet, and then looked ahead of her. At the moment, she was on the higher floors again, with the window aimed outward that looked over the landscape. She could see little from here, but rather than go to the window she swept her hand out again. A bit to her pleasure, the ice lenses she had made previously came together much more quickly now and assembled themselves in less than two seconds. Her power _was_ getting easier to use. Unfortunately, the memory of the fear was too much for her to relax, and soon she positioned her "seeing tool" in the right spot and moved up to look out through the eyepiece. Normally she would let her servants handle this, especially the sentries who were already out, but she didn't want to wait for a report…not as bad as that vision had been. She wanted to see this as soon as possible.

A gasp went out almost immediately on looking through the lens. This was far north of the "limit" she had established days ago when the first attempt of invaders had come toward her. But then again…that was when her power was more "temperamental" and "severe". If anyone had come this far north, it would have resulted in her making them lost in a freezing whiteout and being beset by her snow oni. Yet now, she saw, much to her horror, that at least twenty men on horses, armed for combat, were crossing the one "natural barrier" to her pagoda: the chasm. Somehow, they had made a bridge over it…one that looked like it was made out of raw magma that had cooled.

_How…how is that possible?!_ The woman thought in horrified shock, the snow around her beginning to pick up. _No…no! I was so worried about hurting people and getting my power under control that I drew everything back too much, including the oni! They were able to get this close right under my nose! And they're armed for war… I don't know how they manage to make that bridge, but they have to have more magic power with them… They must have found someone else with abilities like the Jido no Hogu-sha! And now they're coming for me… They're going to…_

Eiko paused in her thoughts. She looked and saw that a snowstorm was rising around her, and the palace was beginning to crackle as fissures appeared in it.

_No…I'm losing control again! Calm down! Breathe! Remember what Jiro taught you!_

Closing her eyes, Eiko struggled to straighten herself out and breathe deep again, trying to relax. She did so for about a minute, and then opened her eyes again. No change. She nearly grew more anxious and fearful at that.

_No! Stay calm! Do it again!_

Concentrating harder, working more at it, she closed her eyes and began to recite whatever mantras she could remember that she had practiced as well as kept breathing, purposely relaxing the muscles in her body. It took a lot of concentration…but slowly the snow died down around her. The fissures faded and became flawless again. She opened her eyes, and sighed in relief. She had successfully controlled it…at least this time.

_Thank the gods for Jiro. If he hadn't taught me how to relax, I might have undid everything I learned and made the winter in Arender-ken worse than…_

Yet, on thinking this, her train of thought froze again.

_…__Wait._

_I'm sparing Arender-ken…but I'm also sparing those men below. And Jiro only left just now…right as they were coming…_

_Did…did he…?_

However, the woman shook her head.

_No…Jiro's my friend. He couldn't have known about this or had anything to do with it…_

_ …__Right?_

She didn't know, but she didn't let her mind dwell on it either. All she knew was that she was in trouble. These men were close now, and in her current state she couldn't deal with them as last time. She couldn't batter them with cold and frost or risk freezing Arender-ken further as a side effect. That left her snow oni…but what good would that do? If she made them go all-out like before, they could kill people… But if she didn't, they could be too minor and let them get through. Especially to whoever down there had the power to generate magma and fire… She knew innately that the only way to "kill" her constructs was to burn them, and if they could make a bridge of raw magma…dealing with the oni would be nothing. They were too "crude". Too bulky. Too slow. Too clumsy…

Yet as she thought that…she got an idea.

_…__I created the snow oni out of fear before. I just 'slapped them together'. What's to say…I can't make them _better_?_

She was hesitant for a moment, but then Eiko realized there was nothing stopping her from doing so. Her power was still not fully in her control, but it was under more control now than it ever had been before. When she had been "clear-minded" and "happy", she had made this magnificent palace in seconds…all of it obeying her thoughts exactly. Couldn't she do the same to the oni?

With that in mind, she quickly turned away from the ice spyglass, dismissing it with a wave of her hands, and then calling out into the halls as she made for the stairs. Her voice easily echoed and resounded through the whole palace.

"Everyone! Come to me in my main chamber at once! Hurry!"

Without waiting for a response, the woman immediately made for the stairs and took them as fast as she could. If they were at the bridge, they were only a mile from the rock peak, and rounding that they'd be no more than a half mile from the pagoda itself. Time was of the essence.

On reaching the bottom of the stairs, she quickly entered her main chamber. Already, she saw eight of the massive snow oni were thundering inside the room, their footsteps letting out massive echoes with each step as they entered. Others were behind them. As she drew herself into the middle of the floor, she beckoned and motioned them to spread out around her. More continued to come in until she had twenty in all, surrounding her on all sides and looking obediently to their queen.

She looked about a bit, and then exhaled.

"I need you all to go out into battle. Attackers are coming here. Keep them out at any cost, but you are not to kill any of them. You can injure them as much as you have to, but do not take their lives. And to help make sure you're all precise enough to do this…"

She extended a hand and began to gesture with it. As a result, a white powder rose up from the floor and began to whip through the room. It quickly built in intensity, soon becoming larger and more distinct, and moving in and around all of the snow oni in the room, sweeping around all of them. They merely stood there and curiously looked about as this happened, but Eiko continued to work, knowing exactly what she wanted and now applying her power at her highest current level of control.

The white powder wasn't snow, however. It was more "diamond dust"…made up of thousands and thousands of icy crystal knives. The same kind she had used to destroy her old clothing and put the kimono she was currently wearing together. With this in mind, she got to work.

Slowly, the powder began to "sculpt" the ice oni, shaving off excess, packing in the extra, rebuilding them both inside and outside…

No one_ will get past these. _Eiko reassured herself. _Not even Jiro would be able to…_

* * *

Akiko was honestly very impressed. She expected Akiko to be holed up here in something besides a cave, but…this was beyond her expectations. Even after seeing the magnificent bridge, she stared in a bit of open-mouthed shock on dismounting Osamu and looking up ahead of her to what loomed, nestled against the mountain. She had no idea Akiko had this level of power, even considering the winter she had brought. She thought it was just "generalized"…not so specific as the beautiful ice pagoda which now loomed in front of her. She was forced to stand and just stare at it for a moment.

"Home sweet home!" Osamu cheered as he got up, spreading out his "flattened" belly to be more normal after that slide he had performed.

"This…this is…" Akiko slowly remarked. "Incredible…"

Osamu blinked a bit at that, looking to her. "But…Akiko, don't you live in a castle too?"

The young woman blinked. "Well…yeah. And it's honestly bigger than this…but…that doesn't make it any less incredible… It's made out of ice…and it's so pure and perfect… It looks like it's nothing more than one giant beautiful crystal… Eiko…she's amazing…"

"Well, let's go see her, then!" Osamu chirped. He immediately began to waddle forward again with a smile on his face.

Akiko held a moment. To be honest…this was a bit intimidating. To see something so massive that Eiko had built with such ease… In spite of having walked through her winter for a few days now, Akiko was only now really getting a "grasp" about how powerful she was. How much more of a "god" she was compared to her. It honestly sent just a tinge of anxiety into her. But she couldn't stop now. She needed to get to her before the others did. She wasn't sure what Jiro had been doing, if he was wanting to spare her or not…but the fact that he had talked about finding a "weakness" of hers made her too tense to let him and the rest of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha go first…at least not before she had her own chance to talk. Soon, she was taking off as well. In spite of the snow being deeper here, she ran faster than before.

Yet as she rushed up, she didn't get too far before she gained enough elevation to see that the pagoda had a wall around it, and that it was gated and shut. Osamu himself drew to a halt, and soon she did the same as she neared.

"Oh…the gates are closed." He remarked. "No problem! I'll just go knock!" He nearly took off again.

He was stopped as Akiko shot out her hand and seized him by one of his limbs…pulling it off in the process. She grimaced at that, but it had the desired effect, making Osamu stop and look to her.

"Wait! What if more of those snow ogresi come out?" She asked.

"Oh, that's alright!" He cheered. "I'll just tell them you're with me!"

Akiko looked a bit sheepish at that. "Er…thanks, Osamu, but…I don't think they're going to listen to you. Remember how they kind of stepped on you before?"

He blinked silently. After a moment, he turned his head up and thought. Time ticked by. After about a minute of thinking, he looked down and shook his head. "Nope. I sure don't."

Akiko sighed. "…I think that was something else that got 'knocked loose' back there… Anyway, we need to find a way to sneak inside."

"But there isn't any other way." Osamu protested. He gestured around. "The wall goes into the mountain on the back, so we'd have to climb over the wall, and it's too slick even for me."

The young noblewoman didn't like the sound of that. She had just started to think of how they could get around this…when suddenly a groaning rang out. She looked up and ahead, and saw the gate doors of the palace opening. Osamu lit up in delight.

"Hey look! They're opening it for us! Let's go!"

Again, Akiko stopped the snowman, this time darting forward and "reattaching" his arm, then holding it, to do so. "No, Osamu! Hide! It could be more of those snow ogres coming out!"

The snowman was a bit confused, but didn't have a chance to protest as Akiko grabbed him and quickly pulled him along with her behind one of the snow banks. Thanks to the snow being so deep, they were able to sink in a bit and hide themselves from view on approach. Only if someone was looking behind them after exiting would they spot them…and Akiko began to hope that wouldn't happen if the snow ogres really were coming out… At any rate, both she and Osamu were able to look out at the gates from behind this snow pile. She peeked her own head out just barely, but Osamu merely removed one of his eyes and held it up and over the top.

The gates continued to open wider and wider. But before they even reached full width, a sound of trampling in the snow began to ring out. It rapidly built in volume and intensity, not being as "deep" or "powerful" as the previous footsteps of the snow ogres, but instead being lighter, more rapid, and in greater number. Although it was a bit louder than normal…Akiko realized she recognized the sound. She had heard it before. And soon, both she and the snowman saw the source.

Snow ogres didn't come trampling out of the gates. Rather…twenty ice samurai warriors, each eight feet tall, perfectly shaped and proportionate and wearing complete suits of armor, all also made out of ice, came bursting forth. Each one was on a massive warhorse, dressed for combat and "scaled" to be able to handle their size perfectly. The horses were likewise made of ice, but snorted and moved just as flawlessly as real horses. And with their greater size, they were rather fast as the band raced out of the gates and tore down the mountainside. Akiko quickly ducked back and pressed herself to the ground, hoping her red, blue, and green colors didn't show off too much from the snow. Because although they were formed perfectly, their eyes were still icy blue torches, and they drove their horses on with single-minded devotion.

Soon, they were down the hill, the hoofbeats echoing back up to where Akiko and Osamu were hiding. The young noblewoman looked up and down after them, as did the snowman, replacing his eye in the process. Soon, they were reaching the rock pinnacle and rounding it in single file, not slowing and flawlessly moving together to do so.

The young woman swallowed. "Those…looked a bit…um…'deadlier' than the ones from the other day…"

"I've never seen them before in my life!" Osamu exclaimed. "…Granted, I've only been alive for about a week…but Eiko didn't make those guys before!"

Akiko hesitated. The snow ogres alone were tough before, but these new snow samurai were sleeker and faster. She could bet they were stronger and less clumsy too. The last ones had given the Jido no Hogu-sha a lot of trouble. These ones… She hated to think of it. She didn't think even they could take care of twenty of them…even with Jiro back…

Another sound rang out, this time of large clacking, before a groaning followed it. Immediately, Akiko looked up and back to the palace. The gates were beginning to close.

She hesitated only a moment. They were open now…and the last of the guards, hopefully, were gone. That meant this might be her only chance to see Eiko free of danger. With that in mind, she quickly got up and began to take off for the entrance, moving as fast as she possibly could through the deep snow.

"Huh?" Osamu announced as he turned and looked to her. "Hey! Wait for me!"

Immediately, the snowman went off, hot on her heels. However, Akiko couldn't concentrate on that now. She focused only on running as best as she could through the snow. The doors continued to slowly close, and so she tried to push herself faster and faster. More than once, she feared they'd be too late. After all, she was still rather far from the gates themselves. She panted and nearly twisted her ankle not once but twice. But miraculously, the gates closed only very slowly…and finally, when only four feet were left, Akiko slipped through.

Osamu got a bit "pinched" on the way behind her…but he still managed to drag his full body through just as the doors slammed shut, letting an echoing ring go through the entire countryside.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	8. A Frozen Heart

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I understand Nobuyuki's lines have been "muddled". In the early chapters I intended "no accents". It doesn't make sense, after all. They're all from Japan supposedly. But then I noticed he sounded too much the same as everyone else, so I tried giving him a "way of talking", but that only came off as a bad accent. I didn't mean to actually give him an accent, or I would have had him say things like "dah". But since it's not working, I'm trying to make him "accent-free" from here on in.

* * *

"Well she couldn't have just 'run off'!" Takara protested as she risked unfurling her wings to hover around the area again, getting a "bird's eye" view of the area. "I mean…she can't move that fast normally! Definitely not in this snow!"

Takeshi, on his part, had followed a short trail, but then it stopped. He pointed downward. "Here are her tracks…and they stop right here." He leveled a glare at Jiro. "Just 'vanished in the snow'. You sure that hime of yours is really so 'nice'?"

Jiro didn't answer. He didn't even give a glare. He had already taken off into the sky as well and was looking around too. However, just as Takeshi said, she was gone. He couldn't believe it. How could she have just "slipped away" so easily? Were they all so distracted?

Were they all so…upset with him?

Satoru let out a jingle. To accent the fact, he made another statue of sand…this time only of the snowman.

Nobuyuki noticed this, and pointed at it. "Very good point. Osamu is missing as well."

"Well, no offense…but he sticks out a bit more than Akiko." Takara responded with a shrug as she began to go down for a landing again. The frigid air was too much for her wings for very long. "Even if he is made of snow."

"Perhaps he found some way to carry her, yes?" He responded with a shrug. "As I recall, he does not leave tracks in the snow himself. Being 'one with it' perhaps…"

Takeshi looked back up to Jiro again. "Maybe we all shouldn't be worried since she has her power _so_ much under control…"

Jiro gave him a dark look. "And maybe if you wouldn't have kept talking about hurting her sister she wouldn't have run off! Look…it's no big deal." He looked ahead and pointed. "She's not much farther. All we have to do is go around this…bit of…"

He slowed down to silence. The others looked up at that, and then toward the rock formation. They saw what made him go quiet. A cloud of powder was arising from the very rock ledge that he was pointing to. It was growing larger by the moment. And as they looked, noises began to echo through the icy pass. The sound of hoofbeats…large ones and numerous.

"…Horses?" Takara asked as she lowered.

"But…all horses were back in Arender-ken…" Nobuyuki answered.

Jiro began to lower to the ground again as well. However, even as he did, the source came around the bend. To his surprise, they looked like the snow ogres from before…only vastly improved. They were all now humanoid, and all were perched on flawless horses made of ice just like them. Their weapons, armor, and bodies were more perfect and deadly than ever before. They were, to be honest, beautiful. He hadn't seen such a splendid retinue of samurai in all his life. However…he somehow doubted his appreciation of them would last much longer. As soon as they rounded the bend, they began to fan out and spread in perfect ranks…and made straight for the Jido no Hogu-sha.

The pale young man came in for a landing soon after, and, with the others, he stared in shock as he saw the twenty fully armed and armored ice samurai bear down on them, clearly gearing up for another fight. It sounded almost like rolling thunder, as perfectly as they rode.

After a moment, Takeshi's surprised look resumed being a frown.

"…Nice job 'teaching her to use her power', kenshusei. Now these things are bigger and more lethal than ever. We couldn't even kill _one_ of them before. Now what?"

Takara let out a rather deep gulp. "Um…everyone? I don't think I can hit them in the teeth so easily this time…"

Nobuyuki looked to the ground. "Satoru?"

The small man nodded, and immediately slammed his palms together. He held a moment, before ripping them out a second later and aiming his fingers at the incoming warriors. Instantly, ribbons of golden moth scales exploded from them and lashed out like snakes. Jiro hadn't seen him use his power this "long range" in a while, but it shouldn't have lessened the impact. On reaching them, the gold spread out and diffused rapidly, sending a dusty cloud over all of them. The sand slowly rested on their bodies…

And failed to make them even slow down.

Satoru's pupils shrank, before he let out a very slow and nervous-sounding jingle.

"What do you mean 'more intelligent'?!" Takeshi nearly outburst.

"You mean she didn't just make them physically better…but mentally and spiritually better too?" Takara nearly yelped.

Nobuyuki muttered a yokai prayer as he began to go for his swords. Jiro went open-mouthed…having no idea that Eiko could do that. He reminded himself that he had told himself at one point that she had no limit to her power. And now…it looked like she was pushing those limits, and they were about to suffer for it.

Getting out his kunai, Takeshi grit his teeth and hissed at Jiro. "…We get out of this alive, kenshusei, I'm going to kill you. If you're thinking of taking her 'side', you better do it now and save me the trouble of waiting."

Jiro actually hesitated a moment. The rest of the Jido no Hogu-sha began to draw their weapons. Their looks turned fierce…but all of them were genuinely nervous this time. Yet none looked to him. They all had that same air about them…one of betrayal. How he had possibly doomed them all by his negligence at best and his blatant treachery at worse. And yet, in spite of all that, in spite of having his only friends react to him that way…what made it even worse was that a small part of Jiro _wanted_ to go on Eiko's side. However, he shook that off. He had to help them…and prove to them, and himself, whose side he was really on. With that in mind, he braced his own staff.

However, as the ice horses neared, beginning to slow…thankfully not going to trample them, it seemed…another echo came up. This one from behind them. One of Takeshi's ears twitched, angling behind him, and soon he turned and looked.

"Damn it all…" He swore as he did so. "Don't tell me we've got more of these things flanking us?"

Nobuyuki also looked behind them, while Takara, Jiro, and Satoru remained focused on the incoming warriors. The Jolly Bear gave a grunt.

"Flanking, yes…but not from more of these things."

Hearing that, the others risked a look behind them. Sure enough, another cloud of snow was rising, and with it came the sound of more hoofbeats. Yet it wasn't as large or as "lock step" as the ones in front of them this time. This was more disjointed and "normal". Looking a bit more, they soon saw forms emerging from the snow. Ones bearing the standards of Arender-ken and of the shogunate himself.

"Lord Nakamura's men…possibly him himself." Takara mentioned.

"Not waiting for us to come down and become enemies of the emperor properly, eh?" Takeshi snorted bitterly. "This day just keeps getting better and better. Even if Eiko gets through today alive, we might not… After all of this hiking and cold we're far from 'fighting form'…"

"Only a coward rolls over and dies at a time like this." Nobuyuki answered as he forced his swords out, already his body beginning to ripple as the muscle built up in it. The humans were still closing, but the group focused their attention ahead on the ice samurai. They were much closer and, frankly, far more formidable foes. They were continuing to slow their horses, but they were also going for their swords and drawing them. The group tensed further as they neared, feeling their burning "flame" eyes all on them.

Finally, as they neared range where the finest details on the armor could be made out, they descended practically into a trot, and then suddenly pulled their reins to a halt. In spite of being made of ice, they moved as smoothly as the "fabric" of Eiko's dress.

When that happened, something more unexpected resulted. One of them called out.

"Intruders into the domain of the Yuki no Hime…turn back at once and we will not have to injure you."

The five were stunned. Gone was the thunderous, booming voice of the snow ogres with the large vocabulary. Sure enough, these voices were still loud, strong, and resounding…but they were mild enough to come from a nine-foot human and not a monster. What more, they were highly eloquent. Satoru was right, Jiro realized. They _were_ smarter…which was a bad thing. Talented opponents who were also powerful always were.

"Lady Eiko must answer for her crimes against the shogun and the people of Areder-ken." Nobuyuki responded, even as he continued to bulge in muscle and started to grow fur, his voice beginning to distort. "The code of Bushido…demands it…"

"Lady Eiko will appear before the shogun when she feels it is necessary to do so." The ice samurai responded. "Until then," He pointed his sword ahead at them. "Leave now or you take your lives into your own hands."

Jiro hesitated only a little more, and then made a move. He knew this would make things even worse for him…but he had to try. If he could diffuse this situation, it would be worth a few "dark stares". With that in mind, he suddenly shot forward ahead of the others, standing in front of them. The four looked to him in surprise. But before any of them could think or accuse him of treachery, he spoke out.

"Please…we don't mean any harm. They're with me. They're my friends." He insisted. "Come on, cut us some slack, will you? You know me! You guys carried me and Eiko up that snowy mountain at least a dozen times and watched our snowball fights, didn't you?"

The other members of the Jido no Hogu-sha were justly surprised on hearing this. They knew he had been with Eiko, but they didn't know he had gone _that_ far with "being friends". However, the ice samurai did not hesitate.

"I am sorry, Lord Jiro…but you must either stand to one side or be counted among these enemies of Lady Eiko."

Takara grimaced. "…Tell me they didn't just call you 'Lord Jiro'."

Takeshi merely let out a growl.

Jiro, on his part, desperate to not let things go any more south…while, at the same time, realizing that he _was_ to blame for how powerful the warriors had become…didn't waste any more time. Immediately, he aimed his staff forward and whipped out the "big guns"…summoning his power into him and letting loose with a blast of icy "energy" at close range.

The horse panicked just like a real one as the beam slammed into the ice samurai on the back, yanking him off in a flash and coating him with thick ice as he was shoved into the snow for a hard impact. It continued to "rake" him along the ground even after that, but Jiro didn't have time to waste looking at him for very long. The other ice samurai, seeing that the "fight was on", quickly charged, staying on their horses and getting ready to both trample and slash the Jido no Hogu-sha.

They didn't get too far before a massive body lunged over the other four members, bellowing a terrible roar. Nobuyuki, in full bear form, landed on the ground with a thunderous echo and barreled straight at the warriors, both of his swords brandished, and swung a moment later to smash through two of them, slicing horse and rider alike into pieces and sending the remains flying. Yet the rest of the warriors were too "smart" for that, changing their position to ride around him at a wider angle, and then coming in toward the other four on both sides. Seeing this, the group quickly sprung into action. Takeshi tapped his foot and flung his kunai as he fell into the ground in a hole he made. Both Takara and Jiro took to the sky, the Tooth Dragon only reluctantly unfurling her wings again while he was far more eager. That left Satoru behind, who immediately used his small size to simply pivot and let one of the horses run right over him rather than trample him, passing in between its legs. He, in turn, snapped out a fresh "scale whip" and ripped the samurai and rider stem to stern from behind before deploying a second.

Jiro honestly felt a bit regretful about this…but he had little choice. He wanted to show that he was "part of the group". And to that end, once above, he immediately fired out another blast at one of the other samurai. But much to his surprise, the warrior actually leapt off and to the ground, going for a tumble roll, and let the blast hit mostly the horse rather than the target. What more, four of them spun around and, seemingly out of nowhere, grew bows with already knocked arrows out of their hands, took aim, and fired. Jiro had little time to wonder how ice could be "elastic" before he quickly had to bring his staff about and deflect the incoming shots. At first, this seemed like it would be a "slower" attack than the other day…but such wasn't the case. New arrows "sprouted" from their hands as soon as they fired the old ones, and the young man was soon struggling not only against their speed but power. They were larger than before, after all, and had more "oomph" to them from their mass and momentum. They were firing so quick that even he couldn't keep up without feeling his arms being jarred and his body being forced backward. Gritting his teeth, he suddenly went into a spin and rotated "out" of the path of fire, and then counterattacked by filling the ground around the riders with sharp icicles out and at an angle. The horses soon pierced them, giving out snorts and whinnies…but no cries of pain. They were just as immune to trauma as the samurai. However, they did "throw" their riders, and for a moment the young man rejoiced…until he saw each one land, go into a graceful somersault to "roll out" of their impact…and then rise again to resume shooting without missing a beat. He had to suppress the urge to swallow as he put up more speed.

Nobuyuki was just as wild and savage as before, once again hacking away with blows that would have torn the old snow ogres to pieces. In fact, he seemed even more savage now, beating away at his opponents left and right as they charged into the thick of him. Unfortunately…aside from his opening strike, he didn't get too far. His opponents remained on horses, and the riders and their mounts alike seemed good enough to stay out of his reach, letting him hit only air or the ground with each titanic blow. The few that got in close enough to risk taking a swipe at him made sure to block his blows with "glancing" movements, causing him to divert his powerful hits to one side and leaving them untouched or even pushing them away. Seeing this, Nobuyuki put even more power into his next blows. To his surprise, their swords actually "held together" well for being ice against tempered steel, but he finally managed to crack their blades, and then cut straight through one of them, slicing deep into the ice samurai on the other side. And yet…he paid a price for that. He had to put so much power into the blows that he left his back wide open, and an ice samurai on horseback went by and quickly slashed into him…and to Jiro's shock stained the snow red. Their blades were now so fine that the edge was the width of a single water atom. Even Nobuyuki's skin couldn't protect him anymore. And if that wasn't enough…the ice samurai he cleaved almost immediately healed his wound and regenerated his sword, pressing the advantage.

Satoru did well…at least at first. Once again his kusarigamas came out, and he went to town slicing and slashing into everything around him. Yet he only managed to cut two of them before the other warriors backed off, giving him a berth, and making it so that he couldn't hit two at once. What ones _did_ get hit leapt back as they did so, taking them away from the slice so they were merely cut instead of separated. Doing so let them regenerate far more quickly. Yet after a moment, five of them dismounted their horses. While the ones attacked and cut fell back, these ones seemed to make large shields pop out of nowhere, and hoisted them with ease. It was likely this region of Japan had never seen a "tower shield", but had they done so they would have been forced to conclude this was the like. As the scythes went out and cut into them, they shattered and diced them…but the ice was so thick that it wasn't enough to take them out all together. What more, they quickly began to regenerate as well as the ice warriors got nearer. Satoru actually looked a little nervous…before he got a bigger shock when one ice samurai suddenly generated a lance and threw it at him from behind, trying to nail him in between the shoulder blades. For a moment, it looked like it would hit for sure…before the Sand Moth pivoted and swerved out of the way just in time, only getting slashed on his arm. Yet as his own golden blood fell to the snow, his attack was interrupted, and quickly the warriors charged in on him from all sides. His eyes went wide and he gasped silently before quickly struggling to keep them away…

Unfortunately, these three were doing the "best". Takeshi sprouted out of a hole, meaning to get his kunai as it sliced through a warrior…only to have the ice samurai slash out and perfectly deflect it, knocking it aside, while another swung around in a spin to slice out for his head. He went a bit wide eyed before dropping down again and popping out of another hole…only to see another ice samurai already bearing down on him with sword drawn. He tried popping out again, but then had to flee once more as another samurai tried to grab him from behind. It wasn't just that the warriors were now faster and smarter. This fight was taking place later in the day than their last. There were fewer shadows here, and fewer places for Takeshi to make holes without being seen. As he popped out of a fourth hole, he had one of the soldiers driving a sword right for his gut. Quickly, he used his "other" power, leaping into the air and holding out his hand for his kunai. It rose and returned to his grip just in time to be used to deflect a chop aimed for his shoulder from another warrior. He tried to aim a counter-kick…but these blades were thin and sharp. He couldn't risk lashing out for them. Instead, he leapt off of the blade, backflipped through the air, and landed at a distance. He spread his fingers out…turning his one kunai into ten…touched his other hand to it…turning the ten into twenty, and then began to throw out a flurry of blades at the warriors who were facing him. Two caught them in the eyes and joints…but they rapidly adapted, growing shields of their own or, much to the Ghost Hare's shock, even deflecting the knives with their armor and blades. Yet he got into real trouble when one of them suddenly snapped out his own hand…and a moment later Takeshi cried in pain as a kunai of ice lodged in one of his throwing hands, piercing it in the palm. Blood flowed from his hand to the snow…but more importantly his multitude of kunais became one again…and the ice samurai charged at him to take advantage.

Takara was the worst. Her wings cold and stiff, she could barely fly as expertly as she used to. That was bad timing because the ice samurai were lunging at her stronger and faster than ever. After shooting several ice arrows at her to bring her down to their elevation, they began to lash out at her with the swords. They were nimble, acrobatic, and strong. She deflected one blow only to have another "slide in" and try to stab her from the side, forcing her to fly back and quickly swing her jitte around to guard the blade. Even so, she cried out in pain from the force of the strike. Yet even then, another samurai moved in from behind and tried to stab her in the back, while she was pinned with the other warrior. Sweating a bit, and turning to see this, she quickly shoved the sword to one side, spun around, and deflected the blade…but since it was an overhead chop she found herself pinned to the ground and straining under greater power. Her wings flapped as hard as they could for more strength, but to no avail. Hardly giving her a chance to breathe, another ice warrior leapt into the air, blade brought over for a stabbing downward thrust, sailed over his companions, and moved to drive the weapon right into her. Takara's mouth loosened, seeing herself totally trapped. Finally, with a grunt, she managed to roll out of the way in mid-air, sliding out of the blade and just getting grazed by the stabbing sword. Instantly, as the ice samurai landed, she shot back and drove her jitte for his facemask, trying to hit through to the teeth beyond. But to her horror, the mask was so sturdy that the blow, which could have shattered a wooden beam or dented any other armor, only made the tiniest crack on it. Their weakness was no more. Not only that, but the ice samurai soon snapped up, smacked her jitte away, and nearly stabbed her again…forcing her to shoot back.

Jiro grit his teeth as he fired another blast. It managed to catch one of the shooters, and he quickly poured on more "force" to try and rip him apart and freeze his remains to keep him from reforming. However, his partners quickly upped their own ante, forcing him to break off. The partially frozen ice samurai quickly broke loose and resumed shooting again, and as for Jiro…he only got a progressively worsening headache from using his "trump card" repeatedly.

_Damn it…Eiko is a _lot _better than I thought. I don't think we can beat these guys… They've already shown they're better than most of our 'trump' cards…_

_Now what do we do?_

* * *

Nakamura had mostly been "riding hard", not only to get to Eiko and Akiko, but now in a "charge" on seeing the ice warriors up ahead coming down to meet them. Although the other men had been filled with shock and even terror, and he had to admit he felt much the same, he kept to his code and planned to meet them head on in battle. However, running a bit closer, meaning to make this a violent charge to break through and beyond to the daimyo…he got a bit of a surprise. It seemed the Jido no Hogu-sha were indeed there. But unlike his suspicions, that they were either dead or had aligned with the witch, they appeared to still be "on their side"…for all the good it was doing them. They soon drew the full attention of the ice samurai…and, to his astonishment, they were not doing well against them.

These monsters were nothing like the ones he heard reported before. They were flawless, perfect, towering samurai…stronger, faster, and more agile than any human being. Fierce, mighty, able to pull weapons out of nowhere, and healing instantly from being hacked to pieces…he felt his own heart sink in fear to see them. He slowed his horse as he and the rest of his men stared agape. How could they possibly fight such monsters when even the yokai could not?

"Lord Nakamura! Look!"

Hachiro's call out made the lord turn to him, and saw he was pointing to the fight…or what he assumed was the fight. But when he followed the path of his finger and looked out to the rock pinnacle behind him, he noticed that there was a pathway beyond. Based on the number of tracks that were on the ground, he realized that the ice samurai and their horses had to have come from there.

"We can get by them! They're preoccupied with the Jido no Hogu-sha!"

As much as he couldn't believe he was doing this, Nakamura hesitated. He looked to the five and saw that they weren't doing too well. They were barely holding their own against opponents who looked both powerful and incapable of being hurt. He may not have had much regard for the Jido no Hogu-sha…but he did have honor, unlike the daimyo and men the yokai had been fighting until now. And he had brought them in to do this task. It was because he had "hired" them that they were even here, fighting out what was looking like a losing battle…

However, in the end, he decided his loyalty was to the princess first, and she wasn't with them. Plus, it couldn't be much farther to Eiko herself. He might never get another chance to deal with her. The storm was broken, the warriors were preoccupied…he couldn't afford to let it slip. Besides, stopping her might end the rest of the downstream effects. With that in mind, he gestured forward.

"Move by them! On to the daimyo!"

He snapped his own reins, putting his horse into a gallop again. It took a bit of work to get it going past the intimidating ice warriors, but it did so in the end, and the rest of the men soon fell in behind him and rushed with him toward the small pathway.

* * *

Akiko was rather awed at the interior. Perhaps she wasn't as overwhelmed as Jiro was, but that didn't make this place any less incredible to her. She only slowly walked inside once she finally got through the main gates, looking about her in awed wonder. Everything about the pagoda was perfect. It was cold, to be sure, but not as bad as outside. Besides, everything looking so clear and blue and pristine was too much for her to focus on the temperature. In spite of her sense of urgency, she had found herself slowing down as she walked in, moving out of the threshold and toward the main hall, taking in everything around her.

_This place is even more beautiful on the inside…and it's so…I don't know…"complex"… How long did it take Eiko to make this? Our own castle took close to 100 years…_

"We're here!" Osamu suddenly cheered, having just finished "smoothing" his body out after being squished in the door, and beginning to waddle ahead excitedly. "Lady Eiko! I'm back!" He cheered out loud, sounding his voice through the rather silent palace as he walked in, letting it echo throughout the entire structure.

It was so loud that Akiko actually grimaced and shrank back a bit. In spite of her optimism, it almost intimidated her a bit to speak out loud. Yet after only a few moments, she heard a clicking of footsteps.

"…Osamu? Is that you?"

Akiko raised her head. That was unmistakably Eiko's voice. And a moment later, she saw the woman herself as she walked out of one of the side halls. To her amazement, her older sister had changed quite a bit. Before she always used to "drown" herself in her kimono and other clothing, keeping her hands concealed by long sleeves and dressed as "conservative" as possible. This new kimono she wore was more close fitting and accented her body a bit more, and kept her hands exposed as she walked out into the hall. At any rate, she didn't notice Akiko at first, and didn't seem to catch the first "we" that the snowman had stated. She walked right out to Osamu. She had a look of relief on her face as she did so.

"Osamu…you're back." She exhaled. "I was starting to get worried that something happened after you went out a couple days ago…" She paused after saying this, however, and formed an uneasy look. "I'm…I'm sorry. I should have sent one of the others out after you. I don't know what I was thinking… I guess I was too focused on myself over the past few days…"

"Aw, that's alright." Osamu cheerily responded. "I had a lot of fun and I made some new-"

The daimyo held up her hands in a stopping gesture. "Wait, hang on. I've got something I want to give you first."

Akiko wondered what that meant, but she didn't have to wait long before Eiko held up her hands in front of her, and began to make a gesture. As Osamu looked curiously around, he saw a spiral of snowflakes, or ice crystals (Akiko couldn't tell), rise up and begin to spin around him. He blinked a few times, not seeming to realize what was happening, but a moment later Akiko let out a quiet gasp.

The flakes went in and immediately began to carve away at Osamu, working like tiny ice sculptors. They shaved and dug at parts of his physiology all over, took what came off, placed it elsewhere, and then reformed it. Not only that, but the flakes seemed to move against his "skin" and compress and polish it to a nice "shine" and density. When they finished "sculpting" him, they began to join together and form around him…in what Akiko realized was an ice imitation of fabric. This helped her realize that Eiko's own kimono was the exact same thing…ice. She had no idea how that managed to work out, but she was too transfixed on Osamu to care.

Moments later, it was done. Osamu was no longer a "snowman" so much as a "snow man". To Akiko's surprise, he was perfectly shaped like a young man fully clothed like a royal courtier. His body was the shape of a human's and all of his features moved as if they were real muscle and bone. Most of his body had been condensed and actually refracted the light in such a way that, although he was entirely white and icy blue, he actually had "coloration" to him. He looked more like a strange pale human now rather than a snowman. He looked himself over and seemed overjoyed.

"Aw…look! I have toes! Fingernails! A waistline! Hips! Oh great…now I'm going to have to work harder than ever to keep up my figure…"

Eiko smiled a bit at that. It looked like she nearly laughed too, but…in the end, she put a hand to her mouth and stopped herself. A moment later, she grew a bit more uncomfortable-looking…similar to how Akiko knew her best. She decided that now was as good a time as any to speak up.

"…Eiko?"

The daimyo instantly snapped her head up, looking not only surprised at the sound of the voice but who was making it. She even looked a tad anxious…or fearful…for a second. She blinked a moment later, and then fully recognized who was there. When that happened, she relaxed a bit, but still seemed to marvel. As for Akiko, she made a hesitant smile and began to walk forward.

"Akiko…"

"Uh…hey, big sis." The younger noblewoman said as she stepped a bit closer before halting at a distance. Osamu, on his part, patiently stayed quiet for now and looked to both of them, seeming to expect an immediate embrace and reunion. Instead, they both held their ground as Eiko grew more amazed.

"What…what are you doing here? Why aren't you in Arender-ken?"

Akiko sighed. "Come on, Eiko. After all that…you expected me to just let you go off by yourself? I stayed back for a little while because I thought you'd come back or this would blow over…but when I thought you were in danger-"

"_Me_ in danger?" Eiko cut off incredulously. She groaned. "Akiko…do you know in how many different ways you could have died coming up to see me? You could have frozen, starved, passed out from lack of air, fallen into a snow-covered crevasse…"

"Hey, I made it, didn't I?" The younger sister answered with a shrug. "Besides, I had help. Anyway…" Her voice turned more serious. "Eiko, come on. We need to go back to Arender-ken right now."

Eiko's thoughts were interrupted by that. "What?" She echoed back. A moment later, she shook her head. "No…no, Akiko. Not yet."

The young noblewoman's look immediately tensed. "Um…no, Eiko, I'm pretty sure _now_ is the best time." She answered, beginning to advance again, her hand starting to reach out. "Things are getting a little 'serious' out there…"

The daimyo spotted Akiko coming in, and immediately she drew back, as if a hot iron was being offered to her. It was so abrupt that it made the younger sister pause in mid-step again, although still fairly far away. However, the older sister exhaled and calmed soon after.

"I'm aware of that, Akiko. I know that my power is…out of control. I know it's freezing Arender-ken."

Akiko slowly lowered her hand as she spoke, focusing on her. Eiko, on her part, exhaled and put her arms at her side.

"That's why I've been staying up here. I didn't mean to run away after what happened…but…you saw what was going on, didn't you? How I was so out of control I was hurting people on instinct? You can't expect me to go back like this." She exhaled. "I need to learn to control my power. Once that's done, I'll return. I mean…look…" She gestured past Akiko and outside. "If I'm locking Arender-ken in eternal winter _now_, how bad will it be if I try to go back scared half to death of what's going to happen to me?"

Akiko's look didn't ebb too much. "That may be a chance we're going to have to take, Eiko…because the Jido no Hogu-sha are almost knocking on the front doors of your palace and if you don't surrender when they get here things are going to get pretty bad…"

"Don't worry about them." Eiko responded, drawing herself up a bit and turning to start heading back the way she came. "I hit them pretty 'hard' a few days ago… They had to turn around and go back to Arender-ken."

The young noblewoman hesitated on hearing that, her look turning to confusion.

"Um…they did?" She said hesitantly. "Just…out of curiosity…who told you that?"

Eiko had only taken a step away from Akiko when she stopped. She turned and looked back to her. Just hearing her sister talk in that voice caused her to look a bit uneasy.

"…One of them did. Jiro the 'Laughing Frost'. He's the one who's been up here helping me learn to use my power."

Akiko looked rather uncomfortable now, gritting her teeth and looking to one side.

The older sister _really_ didn't like the look of that. "…What's with that look, Akiko? What's going on?"

She hesitated a moment longer, but then exhaled.

"…The Jido no Hogu-sha are _here_, Eiko. I said they're about to come through your front door because they _are_ about to come through your front door. That's the whole reason I got here. They helped me along the way."

A moment of silence passed after that. Akiko saw a change slowly come over Eiko. One moment, she was calm and yet had a "probing" look about her…but in the next moment her face began to look fearful and confused once again…

"…What?" She practically exhaled.

Akiko felt a small wind start to blow around her. A few flakes were on it. Nevertheless, she went on.

"I went with them because Lord Nakamura said they had been told to bring you in dead or alive, and…I wanted to make sure they'd bring you in alive. But you had to surrender first so I wanted a chance to get you to 'stand down'…"

"But…" Eiko began to answer as the wind picked up around her, carrying a few more flakes. Akiko was beginning to feel a bit of a sting in spite of her own numbed skin. "But…Jiro…he…he told me that they turned back…"

Although she was growing a bit nervous about the build-up in the area, Akiko went on. "…He just ran into us a little while ago. He said the reason he went with you was so that he could...learn your weaknesses…"

Instantly…the wind halted and the snow dropped to the ground like stones.

Eiko's face, if possible, seemed to lose even more of its color. She held a hand to her chest…her face looking as if she had just been stabbed in the back. Her mouth loosened…and then quivered for a moment. Her eyes weren't filled with her normal "horror"…just hurt. Her head slowly bowed as she shifted to grab her chest region, but she kept her eyes looking out into space. She was quiet.

But after a moment, a tear rolled from her eye.

Osamu, seeing this, blinked and became concerned. "Eiko? What's wrong?"

Akiko, noticing this change, began to grow a bit uneasy herself. While she didn't trust the Jido no Hogu-sha not to "attack first and ask questions later", she still thought they were good and decent people. The main reason she ran ahead was to tell Eiko to "stand down", and then she figured everything would be alright. Yet she began to realize as she stood there that she may have just said the wrong thing. Confessing what Jiro was up to probably ruined any form of trust she was going to have of _any_ of them. And the fact that Akiko was crying…

_Did…she and Jiro get really 'close'?_

She swallowed and tried forming an innocent smile. "Um…look, in spite of all that, they really are nice people! I…know how bad that sounds right now…but they're honorable! Just put your hands up and go outside and I'm sure that-"

Suddenly, a pounding was heard echoing through the castle. At once, Akiko and Osamu turned around and looked while Eiko kept her head to the ground, another tear rolling down her other cheek. As they two looked to the front doors, they found they were still closed. The sound was coming from further away…the gates outside. They soon began to hear muffled shouting, followed by more pounding…rather intensely too. Akiko couldn't make out most of the words, but one thing soon was clear.

"That doesn't really sound like Nobuyuki and the others…" Osamu observed. "Sounds more like a group of angry guys…"

"It sounds…like Nakamura…" Akiko observed. A moment later, she began to look uneasy. "Oh no…Takeshi said the Jido no Hogu-sha only had three days… If that's true, then… But…how did they get up here so fast?"

"Isn't that what all those ice guys on horseback were for?" Osamu asked with a shrug. "Wouldn't they be going out to stop guys like them?" He hesitated a moment, then suddenly looked like he had a "eureka" moment. "Wait, I know! The Jido no Hogu-sha are tying them up and keeping them busy while the others go to kill Eiko! Yay!"

He froze.

"Wait…no, _Not_-Yay. That's really bad…"

The younger sister swallowed, and began to turn back. "Eik-"

She cut herself off a moment later. Turning around, she felt a sudden sharp chill from Eiko's direction…the temperature dropping dramatically. It was so cold that even her own numbed face felt the bite. But she noticed something else. The palace was growing darker. It wasn't from her, however. Rather…the sky outside was growing dark, causing less light to refract through the whole palace. When Akiko looked up, she could just manage to see through the ice ceiling that clouds were beginning to gather overhead, turning the world dark and gray…as well as dropping the temperature. Swallowing, she looked back down to Eiko.

The woman had changed. She was sniffling a bit, and wiping the tears from her eyes…but snow had sprung up around her. It didn't fill the room as before. Rather, it encircled her in twin "bands", and she seemed to be breathing in and out quite a bit…doing some sort of exercise to maintain control. However, her face, still "stinging" from hurt, was filling with fury. Her blue eyes started to blaze as she looked forward. She no longer saw Akiko or Osamu. She was staring beyond them at the doors. After a moment, she lowered her hands to her side…and balled both into fists. Akiko again looked nervous as she saw small patches of ice begin to form underneath them.

"Akiko…stay in here." She simply said. "Do not leave the palace for anything. Osamu…make sure she doesn't."

Osamu looked rather tense at that prospect, but, naturally, it was Akiko who was even more shocked as Eiko began to walk forward, focusing on the door and looking to move right by her. "Wait…Eiko what are you doing?" She said as she began to approach again.

Immediately, however, Eiko turned to her and held up a hand in a stopping gesture. As if by instinct, the snow around her began to swirl more violently, and the flakes started to turn to crystals.

"Just stay away from me, Akiko." She told her sternly. "Don't come near me when I'm like this. Stay in here where it's safe."

The young noblewoman didn't like the sound of that. "…Safe? Eiko, what are you doing? You're not actually thinking of going out there and fighting them, are you?"

"Just…stay here." Eiko flatly answered, and then turned and kept walking.

However, once she had passed, Akiko readily began to move after her, and Osamu as well. "You can't do that! Eiko, just surrender! Then you can go back to Arender-ken peacefully!"

The woman slowed to a halt and let out a large exhale, before whirling around. "Akiko, look at what's happening!" She shouted, her snow picking up speed again, this time making it begin to throw flakes up in the room as well. "Look at them! They don't _care_ if I surrender! No one does! To everyone, I'm just a monster! Everyone just wants me dead! And the more they do this, the more my power is going to be harder to control! If they want to make me into a monster, then I'm going to give them something to be _scared_ of! I'm going to make sure they never try to come after me again after this…" She muttered this last part as she turned and kept walking.

Osamu looked rather fearful now, not knowing what to say as he looked to Akiko. The young noble, on the other hand, moved in. "No! This is only going to make things worse! I know what happened was an accident!"

Eiko slowed again, bowing her head a bit this time, but didn't stop walking.

"…You're the only one who cares, Akiko." She murmured, before beginning to walk again.

"Um…I care too!" Osamu called out uneasily. "If…uh…that helps…"

"Eiko, I can't let you do this!" Akiko began go after her again. "There's still a chance! There's still hope!"

No sooner had she gotten this out, however, than she gave a gasp and recoiled…for thick bars of ice suddenly sprang out of the ground right in front of her and extended all the way to the ceiling before locking in. The result separated her from the door, and from the older sister. A moment later, her face tightening in a bit of anger, Akiko ran up and grabbed them, but she didn't have nearly the strength to break them or the size to squeeze through. She nevertheless struggled to reach through the bars and call out.

"Eiko! Don't! Please!"

The woman was at the door now and reaching out to open it. She sighed one more time, and then spoke behind her without turning.

"When this is over, Akiko…go back to Arender-ken and don't come up after me again…even if you never see me again. Osamu…I charge you as your hime not to let Akiko through these doors no matter what."

With that, she pushed the door open and stepped outside, leaving Akiko to furiously pull at the bars to no avail.

* * *

"Again! Keep at it!" Nakamura shouted.

"It's no good, my lord!" One of the samurai at the towering ice doors shouted, panting from having smashed against them with all of his might with her own axe, only to have barely begun to chip anything away. "It's solid ice! If we keep this up, the weapons will dull!"

"We _have_ to get in there!" The man shouted back. "This is our only chance!"

The group had been more than a little stunned to see such a magnificent ice palace awaiting them on the other side of the rock pinnacle. It was a testament to just how powerful the daimyo was. However, the warriors had been far more intimidating, and Nakamura himself didn't care if there was an entire kingdom built out of ice on the other side of the rock. He had to get in there. There was no sign of Akiko anywhere and this would be the only opportunity they would have. He realized now that if the queen had generated such formidable warriors and was freezing the entire country, then soon there would be nothing stopping her from conquering it completely. He couldn't allow that to happen. Unfortunately, there were gates of ice barring his way. And though the three men who had "heavier" weapons among them had dismounted, gone up to them, and began to batter away at them with their weapons, it was no good. They held as solidly as trying to break apart an iceberg.

Yet as they beat away at it, Nakamura used the opportunity to look over to Itachitoko. He looked just as eager as the rest of them to get in…even if he was holding off behind them in what he assumed was fear. However, this only puzzled the man more. After the power he displayed earlier, he wasn't even making a suggestion for getting inside. Raw magma would definitely get through this obstacle…but now he seemed to just be eagerly waiting for them to break open the gate…

Hachiro finally let out an exhale of disgust. "It's no use. We have to go over the wall. Maybe we can fire an arrow with a rope attached…"

Nakamura looked to him and was about to respond…when he froze while the men hacking away at the gates stepped back in alarm. To the sound of an immense groaning, and to everyone's soon surprise, the massive gates, barely chipped and scratched from the assault, slowly began to open up.

The horses that had been dismounted, however, panicked at this and began to move back. They didn't run off all together, but they did keep their distance. Again, Nakamura had to fight to keep his own under control as the gates opened. However, it wasn't just the gates causing them to react that way. As they pulled back, he noticed the sun overhead suddenly dimmed. He looked up, and both he and the others saw clouds seem to stream out from a central point over the main ice pagoda. They spread thick, ominous, dark, and quickly around the entire sky. As they blotted out the sun and filled the air with darkness, the temperature dropped sharply, and snow began to fall once again. The men were silent, and stiffened. Some of them trembled and looked around. As for the gates, they finished opening and locked in place…revealing an empty courtyard leading up to the front gates of the pagoda itself. The snow continued to slowly fall harder as the wind and cold picked up.

This was dangerous. Based on the reports, the weather was turning into the same situation that the first group encountered who went out, and they were stopped long before getting this far. Nakamura, for a moment, thought it might have been wise to pull back. However…he realized in the end that he couldn't afford that. They'd never get this close again, especially if she was building an army. With that in mind, he inhaled sharply, put his hand on his own sword, and then gave the call.

"Move in."

More than a few of the men hesitated at that. Some swallowed. Others clearly showed their fear and lack of resolve. However, Nakamura showed nothing but bravery, and Hachiro was readily at his side. With those two showing no fear or hesitation, it was enough to strengthen the others into steeling themselves, readying their own weapons, and advancing as well. Soon, even the ones who had lost their mounts were advancing through the gates. The only one to still hold back was Itachitoko. Had others been looking to him, they would have seen his previous "grouchy" and stern look had grown rather afraid, and he was sinking against his mount both from growing cold as well as fear. Yet somehow, he managed to slowly bring up the distant rear.

The group slowly crossed the threshold, each one gripping their weapons progressively tighter. The archers among them had gotten out their bows and knocked arrows, and all of them glanced about as they passed into the court. As it grew darker and colder yet, as dark as anyone would expect from the worst storm, with the wind picking up and getting more sharp and biting, they didn't necessarily expect Eiko herself to spring out and jump them…but seeing the courtyard filled with snow and ice made them rather nervous that more monsters were lurking about. Besides…it was very quiet on entering. Through the walls of the gate, one couldn't even hear the sound of the fighting on the other side of the rock pinnacle, and the natural solitude and environment made things naturally still…but the silence only made things even more unnerving, regardless. Nakamura alone kept his eyes ahead. Even Hachiro looked around uncomfortably.

Itachitoko was even more flighty and nervous looking as he finally crossed under the threshold as well. And he was also the only one to react a moment later as the massive ice doors began to close behind them. He snapped around in a flash, and seemed to barely keep himself from being able to turn his horse around and spur it on. Yet none of the other warriors noticed. They all came to a halt and stared ahead at a new sight.

As the gates closed behind them, the doors to the palace opened up…and out came Lady Eiko.

Nakamura saw how much she had changed. She almost looked like a different woman from the daimyo she had seen at the ascension. She had an air of nobility and raw power about her. Her kimono seemed to be made of pure ice, and her hair was in a totally different style. Her hands, before concealed under great sleeves, were now exposed.

The lord happened to remember that from before…how the power seemed to stream from them. Therefore, as she came out, he quickly muttered around him.

"If you go for a body part, forget the vitals…go for her hands."

Eiko herself had a rather stern and "cold" look about her. To be honest, it was intimidating. Only Nakamura managed to look at it without balking. As she exited the doors and they shut behind her, she advanced a few steps…causing the ground in the courtyard to start emitting a "crinkling" sound…that of ice freezing. Sure enough, the snow started to gather, beginning to form ice crystals around it in random intervals. Several were happening in between Nakamura and Eiko herself. And all of them were becoming long and deadly as the ice picked up…

Needless to say, the men struggled not to lose their resolve as they looked about them, drawing their strength from Nakamura.

"I told you when I fled Arender-ken to stay away from me." Eiko stated. "And when you tried to come after me, I warned those people to stay away too. Yet you keep coming here and risking your lives..."

"I am loyal to the Emperor and the Shogun, Lady Eiko." Nakamura retorted sharply, calling over the rising wind to make sure she heard. "And the law demands that you answer for your crimes. You are guilty of murder and must pay for it. If you insist you are not a demon, then prove it by ending your winter you are bringing upon the land below and come back quietly to face your punishment honorably."

Eiko only frowned more. "You aren't interested in my 'coming back quietly'…only in killing me outright. That's why you sent assassins after me to begin with. All of you called me 'monster', 'witch', and 'demon' that night when I fled. You don't care to let me ever come before the shogun or the emperor…only to 'slay the monster' in front of you. I fled north to try and spare you my wrath. I'm not about to go back and make things worse for my people."

"I did not come here to negotiate." Nakamura stated as he began to draw his own sword. "I came here to give you an order on behalf of the Shogun and to recover Lady Akiko, who you have endangered by your actions. Where is she?"

"My sister is perfectly safe, no thanks to you." She retorted. "Using her as bait to try and draw me out…or as a weapon to play on my emotions…"

"Enough." Nakamura snorted. "You are a daimyo of the emperor and you owe him your unquestioned allegiance, and as his representative I order you to surrender and come to the capitol to face your punishment for your crimes. Defy it, and you will henceforth be branded a traitor to the kingdom as well as a radical, a witch, and a demon. Don't be foolish enough to dig your own grave, Lady Eiko."

The hands of the woman balled into fists. By now, the ever-growing ice crystals were waist high…and suddenly grew faster and sharper as she bowed her head and grit her teeth.

"…Time and time again, I try to warn you all to leave me alone. That you're only scaring me more the more you try to bring me back...and that's only making this winter worse…and yet you won't leave me in peace…"

She looked up a moment later, eyes blazing.

"If you won't leave me be…then I don't have any choice but to make sure that you never try again."

Her hands opened up again, and for a moment Nakamura saw what looked like diamond mist shoot out from them. He braced himself for the worst, as they all did…only to get a different reaction. To his shock, the ice crystals around them suddenly expanded dramatically…shooting dozens of feet in the air and spreading out wide and thick. To their surprise as they quickly drew together to brace for an attack, fearing the ice would spring around them, they saw the entire courtyard filled with tall, sharp, and dangerous crystals. In moments, they couldn't see anything in the courtyard around them. They were surrounded by pinnacles of ice.

Shocked, the group looked around a moment…before the temperature plunged again. Sharp, icy wind picked up about them, and it was enough to make even Nakamura shrink back in pain and cold. To his fear, he realized she was creating a maze. She now had plenty of cover. And the environment was getting worse. That meant they'd soon all keel over from freezing. He turned around to see quickly if they had an exit route. He actually wanted to send a fistful of men out before the horses grew too panicked, for his own mount was beginning to buckle, not liking the change in weather or the sudden appearance of the ice.

To his fear, he saw the doors were already shut. But worse than that…there was no sign of Itachitoko.

_Coward…_ He hissed. He spun around to the men.

"Fan out! Archers, get some cover and wait for a shot! Everyone else, pair off in groups of three! We need to take the fight to her or we'll be doomed!"

As reckless as that course of action seemed, Nakamura knew it was the only possibility. Lady Eiko, while at a distance, could freeze them at her leisure. Only when they were in the inexperienced-with-combat woman's face did they have a chance of having her make a mistake and strike her down. Five archers soon began to fan out, rapidly running into the maze of ice, pressing against the crystals and vanishing. The remaining fifteen, Nakamura and Hachiro included, quickly began to break up after dismounting. In these close quarters, the horses would only be a detriment. Hachiro took two and the lord took two, with the other nine splitting into three groups. With that done, they didn't stay in one place any longer. They each began to spread out into the ice as well. Nakamura himself went "right for the throat", headed in the straightest path he could.

It turned out not being as easy as he thought. Although he bravely went in and the men behind him stayed as "bold" as they could in the process, weaving around the cruel and deadly ice was not a simple task. He actually had to weave and move about quite a bit, all the while as his men spread out. With as wide as he had to go, he realized that the ice wasn't just providing cover. It was creating a maze of sorts that would slow them down and give them more exposure to the ice and snow. Yet he kept moving fast and tried to ignore the bitter cold as he moved in, and kept his sense of direction as he forced the samurai on.

Finally, the ice broke ahead of him, exposing the front of the pagoda. He caught a glimpse of the roof at first, and used that time to lean in close to the ice pillars and advance a bit more slowly. The men with him followed his lead, and after a moment they got to the edge and sprang around.

Unfortunately, as he had thought would happen, Eiko was nowhere to be seen. She had used the moment to move. And the blowing snow had covered up her tracks. He grit his teeth in response…

"Ack-"

A moment later, he snapped his head to the source of a sound over the wind and echoing through the ice spires…a cry that had been aborted. It was rather sharp…and silenced far too quickly for his tastes. It send a chill through him not from physical cold. He recognized the sound too…one of the archers in his group. A moment later, he gestured to the others and charged out back into the ice maze to go after the source.

Not long after doing so, he found it far harder to navigate. Going forth was easy enough, but he couldn't figure out where the sound had come from this time. It resounded and echoed through all of the ice around them. And soon, weaving into the "maze", it grew harder than ever to echo locate.

"No!"

The lord froze as did the men with him, and snapped his head around. Another cry had gone out…this time from behind them. At least, it seemed to the way it echoed. Again…the sound of an archer. This began to make him nervous. He had hoped the archers would be able to succeed while he and the swordsmen kept her busy. Instead…she was going after the archers first. The woman was smart…smarter than he thought when it came to tactics.

Quickly, turning about, he charged in a new direction. He ran this time. He couldn't afford to take it slow again. He had to hurry and get to wherever this was coming from. Yet once again, he found himself wandering through the ice maze…and this time he was beginning to grow a bit nervous about being here in the first place. He started to dread what would happen if he ran into Eiko…or if he'd be able to react in time. It began to occur to them that, for all his bravery, he was dealing with a demon who was essentially a god of winter. There was only so much bravery could do against that…

Finally, there was a break up ahead. It wasn't out into the clear, but it was out from a larger opening. Nakamura almost led his group right into it, but then froze a moment later when, suddenly, one of the 'trios' popped out of the side and ran into it. Thinking at first it was Eiko, he halted, thinking she was running into the open. Yet on seeing his comrades, he relaxed and nearly went forward again…

When he saw the men staring out to one side, and their faces turn to shock. They went for their weapons but, before his eyes, streams of icy mist shot out…and soon caused massive ice crystals to grow out of the ground and wrap around all three of them individually, then solidify to immobilize them. The samurai were frozen in shock, only their heads and extremities pointing out, gazing at the source in fear and unable to move a muscle.

Quickly, Nakamura shot back, lest the source of this see their group. By now, even he was having a hard time not showing fear. His men, on the other hand, were far more petrified. They almost recoiled, looking only to avoid turning and bolting due to Nakamura's own presence at what they saw. With such power and speed, their weapons were all but useless. The only chance they had was if they got behind Eiko and struck her when she wasn't expecting it. But in quarters like this, there was only a random chance of that happening. And they couldn't afford to draw this out and lie in wait. Already, the man began to shiver from the temperature drop. Soon it would be too cold to function or fight in the first place…

This may have been suicide...

* * *

"Ugh!"

Akiko shouted in frustration as she kicked at the ice bars…but it was totally useless. These weren't brittle at all. They were solid and formidable. She tried to squeeze herself through afterward, but still didn't have any luck. Her face tight with fury, she pulled away and punched one of the bars…only to let out a yelp and recoil her hand in pain.

Osamu watched this all uncomfortably from a distance. He clearly didn't like to see the two sisters at odds with each other, and the whole situation with Eiko going out was making him uncomfortable too, although he remained obedient. "Akiko, maybe Eiko is right…" He started to say. "Maybe we should just stay here until she's done outside…"

Akiko rubbed her hand a bit more as her anger returned, and she turned to him. "No, Osamu! She's out there using her power to attack Nakamura and his men! She said she was going to do something to make them never come back!"

The snowman blinked, and then gave a shrug. "But…isn't that good?"

"It's terrible!" The young noblewoman retorted. "They'll only think she's evil more than ever even if she does drive them off! Even if she does learn to control her power, she'll never be able to claim everything was an accident! I got to stop her being ice-crazy and just get back to Arender-ken!"

She kicked the bars one more time, again to no avail, and then turned to Osamu. "Isn't there another way to get out of the pagoda?"

"Well, yeah. Of course." Osamu answered with a shrug. "But I can't show you! Eiko said I couldn't!"

Akiko grit her teeth and stamped her foot in frustration…but only for a moment. She suddenly cracked a smile as she got an idea, looking to the snowman craftily.

"Actually, Osamu…she only said not to let me through these doors no matter what, right?"

He blinked in response. Crossing his arms, he rubbed his chin and thought about that for a moment.

"So…that means you could take me out another way no problem, right?

Osamu thought a moment longer, then suddenly let in a sharp inhale. "Oh…oh yeah! That's right! I could…yeah!" He said excitedly. "Alright then! Come on!" He turned and beckoned to her. "Right this way! We got to get upstairs!"

As Osamu ran on, Akiko grinned as well before following as fast as she could.

* * *

What could they do against these foes?

Jiro didn't know…but as he narrowly dodged an ice arrow taking off his ear…he realized time was running out. Not just because those soldiers had gone by them…and not just because the five of them were finding themselves totally outmatched for a change. It was because the sky was growing dark and cold again, and once more dumping snow upon them…

Jiro was able to keep clear using his "free-flying" style, but he found himself having to rely more and more on the wind to blow him around to avoid the arrows. More than that, he had already used at least half of his stamina, if not more, trying to counter with ice blasts. It was no use, however. These warriors were too strong. Even when he encased them in ice or blew them apart and _then_ encased them in ice, they kept breaking free afterward. They responded to every "trick" he made. Unable to keep the blasts up, he tried shooting out with ice for their feet to trip them up or slow them down at least, so he could move in and try to get more "in their face". Yet it only stunned them for a moment before they adapted their own feet to have cleats to dig into the ice. When he got down on their level and tried using his staff as a bo, his blows did next to nothing to them when hitting them in their thick armor. Their own weapons, on the other hand, jarred his arms painfully, each one being physically stronger than him in spite of his natural strength. They also tried to move around him and surround him continuously, forcing him to once again his use "free-movement" to pull back and around from the attackers. Yet that was only barely keeping him safe from their assault…forcing him to eventually take to the sky again. The only thing he could do was try to run interference now…and he wasn't succeeding at that.

Nobuyuki was still doing the best, but that was relative. By now, the ice samurai weren't even trying to get in his face anymore. They were keeping him surrounded on all four sides and only moving in whenever there was an opening, and every time they did they made sure to keep him occupied while they landed a hit on wherever he was exposed. Occasionally, he managed to get a blow in, but it wasn't doing any good. The ice samurai always rebuilt themselves instantly. They were doing so even quicker this time than the last, not at all miffed by his own punishing blows shattering them apart. Finally, he realized that in spite of the strength of his bear form…it wasn't protecting him and was slowing him down. Suddenly, while two of the warriors tried to corner him, he reverted…snapping back into his smaller, human form. While doing so, he took the moment to rush forward, using his unexpected speed to slice out for one of the ice samurai. He landed his blow against his neck and cleaved all the way through…severing it from his body. He knew it would last only a moment, but the intention was to slow him down long enough to break out of the "loop" while he still had strength for a few moments to keep lifting his swords. Sure enough, the other warriors were left behind and he tried to rush past…only for the headless body to lash out and nail him in the stomach with an armored kick. The solid blows weren't nearly strong enough to stop him, even as he turned back into human form, but it did catch him and stun him long enough for the ice warrior, still headless, to snap out an ice knife and try to drive it into his side. Unable to guard against these, he had to snap back…but in the process lost so much of his strength he had to release his swords to get out of range. Even so, he still gave a cry again as the knife sliced through his chest.

Takeshi was doing much worse. He kept springing out of one hole after another, struggling to keep away from the ice samurai. Yet they seemed so "keen" and "aware" that they managed to nearly slash him at every turn. And when he did manage to spring out and drive his knife into their backs or across their necks…it was meaningless. Being made of ice, they didn't even react in pain and whirled around to try and take his head off, forcing him to run again. Finally, after popping out of one location, he leapt into the air, tucked his legs up, and kicked both in front and behind him, letting his powerful limbs smash one in the face hard enough to fracture their mask and the other to snap his neck as he tried to come in from behind. Stowing his knife, he quickly leapt into the ground again, popped out of another shadow, and then swung his leg out to shatter the ankles of another ice samurai, making him collapse. He dropped down again, and then leapt again in front of another and "double kicked" him under the chin to take off his head and send it flying. Another enemy tried to come in behind as he did so, and he meant to slip into the ground again to avoid it…only to fail. He had only a moment to gasp as he realized the clouds gathering overhead blotted out the sun…eliminating shadows. To Jiro's horror, as well as everyone else's, a sword flew out and, in spite of his attempt to avoid it, Takeshi cried as a slice was opened across his back. It wasn't fatal...but with one hand already hurt, it had to be crippling...

Satoru was fighting as hard as he could, practically a blur as his kusarigamas danced around him. Yet the ice warriors weren't so easily swayed this time. The continued to press on him with those thick shields, no longer moving in slow but charging straight at him. And the power of the Sand Moth lay in his ability to attack at distance, not in maneuvering when they came at him. He managed to slash apart one shield and expose the ice samurai beyond…only to have his partner come in from behind. Quickly, he spun around and slashed out with both scythes, cutting through the shield and into the warrior beyond enough to stop his charge, but it left him open to the original opponent coming forth, now unimpeded, and trying to drive his sword into his head. He managed to move his skull to one side…but a slash still went against his scalp, causing a "pained" jingle followed by gold blood staining his hair. Staggering from the blow, Satoru seemed easy prey as two more warriors came in for the kill. Right before they could land, he managed to swing his whips around and lash out both together, cutting through one…but leaving the other open. A moment later, he charged into him and checked him. Satoru stopped his weapon, but the warrior still crashed into the small man and sent him staggering back. He actually faltered to one knee at that, looking pained…and warriors around him again charged in to try and finish him. Gritting his teeth, he raised his kusarigamas, switched to the other side, and began to swing around the hammers instead, soon flinging them about more furiously than before. They had so much power this time they managed to rip through the shields and smack the ice constructs on the other side with shattering power…but quickly they started to adapt…

Takara was in serious trouble. It was simply growing too cold for her to fly any more. She had to go on the ground. She tried to dodge and move around from there, using her natural agility rather than flight. But it had been a while since she had been confined to the ground. And the "heavier" hitters of the samurai didn't give her a break. Ones with axes came against her and swung their weapons down. Quickly, she backpedaled, leaping in retreat and using her footwork to get away from them, but they relentlessly came again and again. They were rather fast and strong themselves, after all…and some of them leapt over each other's shoulders with weapons extended, trying to cut her in two. They attacked so fast and strong, and with such reach, that Takara couldn't even try to go for their teeth anymore. It didn't matter if she did, however. The Tooth Dragon didn't have the power to break their facemasks without the power of her wings giving her extra force, and when she raised her jitte to defend herself, she gave a cry from the sheer power of the blow hammering down on her. It nearly disarmed her, leaving her open for another warrior moving in swinging his axe out for her. It was only because she was nimble enough to do a side cartwheel that she didn't get hacked and slashed. However, seeing this made Jiro tense up more than ever. Takara was already shivering all over. The cold was doing murder to her body. She couldn't take it much longer…and following her would be Satoru…then Takeshi…

They were definitely in deep trouble. What more, they were wasting time with this. Eiko was getting more and more out of control while they were struggling with these things…

Takeshi, trying to use the intact hand to weakly fling his kunai out, managed to get the latest ice warrior coming in inside his eyes, blinding him…but more were right behind.

"Nobuyuki!" He shouted. "It's time!"

The Jolly Bear caught one ice blade in his bare hands, held a moment as the ice samurai tried to push it in, then gave a grunt as he snapped the blade in his bare palm and punched the warrior in the face, sending him staggering back.

"Time for what?"

"You know what!" Takeshi said as he battled on. "Your spheres!"

"I only have one left! It will take me twenty years to make another!" Nobuyuki shouted back as he continued to fight bare-handed.

"We either use it now or we're all dead! And so is the rest of Japan!"

Nobuyuki, in spite of the tension of the battle, gave a sigh as he backhanded another foe away. But on seeing all of his opponents simply "springing back" and launching at him again, he finally broke. He gave a yell soon after. "Everyone! To me at the count of three!"

In spite of the tension of the battle, the other members of the Jido no Hogu-sha heard the call. And they knew, based on what Takeshi had shouted, what was coming. It was actually a good thing they did so now. Jiro knew they didn't have much strength left for a "burst" to get them close to Nobuyuki. He immediately readied his own power again, summoning it force and focusing it into his staff once again. He had to try and give the others and opening to get to Nobuyuki.

As for the big man, he reached into his vest while giving a shout. "One!"

A moment later, everyone got a "second wind". Jiro aimed his staff down and proceeded to burn off another quarter of his total power by discharging the biggest and fastest blast of ice he could manage, firing it not at his attackers, but those between the others and Nobuyuki. He couldn't hit everywhere, but his own opponents were only interested in keeping him from attacking them…not in stopping attacks like this. His beam soon slammed around the warriors and locked four of them in place as they were smashed to the ground and coated with ice. At the same time, Satoru "wound" both of his kusarigama chains around him and whirled them about furiously, turning him into a small, golden "cyclone" who quickly charged in. Takara, gritting her teeth, forced her wings to unfurl and, with all the strength she could force into them, she made them flap as hard as possible to launch her off the ground and right for her foes…to smash through to Nobuyuki. The power was considerable. She actually managed to charge through one. Takeshi himself leapt over a stab meant for him and landed on the shoulders of his own opponent, and then began to dash over them.

Nobuyuki yanked his hand out, his massive fist clasped around a sphere. "Two!"

Jiro immediately dove for the ground, ignoring the arrows "lapping" at his heels and slashing at his clothes. His long scarf was caught by one and ripped off, but he let it go as he went down. Everyone was now bursting through to unite with Nobuyuki, as he exposed his hand and what was inside of it…what looked like a glass, or crystal, sphere that appeared to be filled with sparkling snow.

However, this wasn't "cold-based", like with Jiro or Eiko. Nobuyuki was a bear yokai, but not just any kind of bear. A polar bear, a creature that lived very far from this latitude. And his family being from those northern lands, he had a bit of "northern magic" in him. Not a whole lot, but enough to where he could condense it and collect it from the energy that came from the ions of the Northern Lights into packets such as this, and then manifest it in the form of these spheres. It allowed what amounted to the same as Takeshi's power…teleportation by opening a door in reality. The only problem was that Nobuyuki wasted his only "long range" one two years ago. It would take him a hundred years to make another. Smaller ones such as the one he was holding weren't nearly as effective…but he could use it to get them away from this…and get them all to Eiko's.

He held the sphere up a moment later, simply waiting for the group to come in a tad closer. The ice warriors, spotting this, spun around and began to charge at them…but it was too late.

"Three!" He shouted as he slammed the sphere down and shattered it against the ground.

Immediately, a flash of multi-colored light erupted from it, like a slice of the Auroras that were seen far to the north. Yet at the same time, it seemed to make a part of the snow around them collapse…revealing a ring of the same multi-colored light. Not only that, but it opened not into the underground…but into some sort of ice-filled courtyard. Jiro recognized it as Eiko's castle.

Quickly, Nobuyuki leapt inside. Takeshi followed soon after, followed by Takara flying inside, cutting off her wings to let herself "fall in". Lastly, Jiro shot by and, as he did, lashed out with the crook of his staff. It snagged Satoru as he came up, exiting his spin but looking rather dizzy…before he was grabbed and yanked into the hole along with the ice wielder.

It collapsed right behind them only an instant later…leaving the ice samurai standing there dumbfounded. For a moment, they paused and looked about themselves.

Yet that didn't last long. Giving a whistle for their mounts, they began to get back on their horses, reorganize, and then turn to start heading back to the pagoda…

* * *

Jiro, being one of the last to come through, and rather sloppily, almost tumbled out of the portal, cut off his flight, and as a result spilled to the snowy ground along with Satoru. The others weren't much better. Takara had her arms wrapped around herself and was shivering, Takeshi was too sore to stand up, and only Nobuyuki was already on his feet. However, as the young man blinked and got his bearings, looking around himself…he almost thought for a moment they had ended up in the wrong spot…

This seemed to be Eiko's courtyard, but it was radically different. The place was nothing more than one deadly-looking spire of ice and snow after another. Each one was cruel and jagged…the like of which Jiro hadn't seen since he had first met Eiko when her power was nearly out of her control. And it filled up everything, making a deadly, razor-sharp maze throughout the area. From where they were at the moment, it looked as if they were on the other side of the front gates themselves, which had been closed once again. Ahead of them, they saw only spires of ice…and the pagoda looming over it.

Slowly, Jiro grunted and got to his feet. In spite of his own pain, Takeshi, his hood pulled back and revealing his ears, yet too sore to put it back on, rose as well. He was followed by Satoru, who joined Takara at her side. For a moment, the five looked about in awe and fear at the sight about them. Yet after only a second, Satoru raised a hand and pointed. The others followed suit, and noticed something they hadn't seen before.

Some of the cruel ice wasn't meant as a blockade, but had enveloped what looked like three of the samurai. Only their heads and necks and hands were sticking out. However, they looked to be in serious danger. Not surprising, considering they were covered with ice. They were already shivering uncontrollably and probably descending into hypothermia. In this weather and in their current situation, it wouldn't be long before they froze to death. And as they stood there looking at them, they heard another cry of alarm. The five snapped their heads forward, and realized the sound was coming from the other side of the ice walls.

Jiro, realizing that his "lessons" had made Eiko more capable of bringing death than ever by teaching her control, was horrified. For once, the cocky young man's face was full of fear. No longer his smug self or casual attitude, he nervously looked forward. Soon after, he took off, rushing for the source of the cry.

The others paused only a moment before forcing themselves to go along. Sore, injured, and weak as they were, they couldn't help it now. Eiko was here. The only chance they had of stopping this was by stopping her. And they had to hurry. The wind was raging, the storm flying, and the cold biting. Goodness knew if she had already killed the other men, or when the ice samurai would arrive to finish the job. They plunged into the ice maze right after Jiro.

There were a few twists and turns, but not many of them. The voices they heard crying out rapidly got larger, as they saw an archer or two on the ground, also mostly encased in ice. They thought of freeing them, but they couldn't yet. They had to stop Eiko first and then go back for them. They would only be a hindrance otherwise. Although the five were naturally "fast", it turned out it didn't take even that long to come to a clearing, right in front of the pagoda…and for them to slow in alarm at what they saw.

The first figure they saw was a pale-blond woman with a kimono made out of ice standing with her back to the icy maze. The group came out against her back, and she didn't notice them. Around her the ice towered tall and thick, surrounding the area in front of the pagoda. The pagoda itself was to her right, and the group emerged behind her with the bulk of the ice maze on her left. However, what else caught their attention was that there were three men before her…

One of whom was Nakamura.

From their position, it seemed Nakamura didn't notice them either. He and his men were too focused on Eiko. Each one of them had weapons drawn, but were tense and nervous as she stood before them, both of her hands extended, her fingers out, and ready to use her power. A moment later, one of them tried breaking off, at least making more targets for her. He didn't get far. With a single gesture, chains of ice formed out of the ground, lashed forward, and snagged around his limbs and neck with such weight and force that he gagged before he was yanked to the ground. They quickly retracted and held him there. Another warrior tried using the chance to move in, but Eiko answered by extending her other hand. Spires of ice, each one sharp as a needle and thick as a gibbet, erupted from the ground and sliced through the clothing on his limbs, leaving him suspended in midair and letting his hands snap and dangle, dropping his weapon to the ground.

Nakamura was left alone. And in spite of the bravery and honor of the man, and his best attempt to look determined…there was fear in his eyes. He stood off before Eiko for a moment, as the woman, her own icy blue eyes burning, focused on him and started to advance. He clearly didn't know what to do. He couldn't let her get close, but he couldn't make a move without a reaction.

Finally, he tried to go for it. He turned to one side to run…only for a wall of ice lined with spikes to pop up in his face. He barely halted before he ran on them. Digging his feet in, he tried to spring back and retreat the other way…only for another wall of ice with spikes erupted. A third popped in behind him, and soon he found himself trapped in a deadly "box". The only opening was one that led her right to Eiko.

The daimyo continued to glare as she kept her hands aimed at him, still approaching.

"…Swear you'll leave me alone and never come back or send anyone else in your stead." She stated after a moment. "Then I'll let you and your men go."

Nakamura looked about a bit, but then wheeled back on Eiko. His fear only lasted a moment before a fire lit in his eyes and removed it.

"Never."

Eiko, on hearing this, tensed up as well, gritting her teeth. "Don't be an idiot, Lord Nakamura! Just walk away!"

"I owe loyalty to the emperor and the shogun, not you!" Nakamura retorted, growing bolder. "I won't dishonor it by running away in cowardice from a woman!"

"You fool!" Eiko retorted, sounding genuinely angry and bitter at that…causing her power to swell. "Why aren't any of you understanding?! I don't want to hurt you! Don't make me! Give up your stupid pride!"

"It's called _honor_, demon." Nakamura coldly retorted. "Something a spineless fugitive like you would know absolutely nothing about!"

Jiro knew that had hit a nerve. Unable to see Eiko's face, he could tell it was filling with uncontrollable fury. The storm raged harder around her, the snow whipping up stronger and more fierce. The ground began to form ice about it in her wake. He didn't think she wanted to hurt Nakamura, but her emotions were totally out of control again. There was little telling what she would do.

Therefore, instead of trying to "sneak attack", as Jiro came around the edge and saw this, and before any of the others could draw a bead or strike on her, he found himself shouting.

"Eiko! Don't!"

There was a split second where he saw the woman freeze. For a moment, the snow around her fell, the wind ebbed, and her hands faltered, clearly from recognition…and from a sudden calmness…

Yet it didn't last. She was quiet and still for a moment…but as she remained there she traced something with one finger, and made a fourth spiked wall erupt around Nakamura, completing the 'box' and holding him in place…

Then, eyes filled with passion and fury as well as hurt, she whirled around, aimed both of her palms at Jiro and the Jido no Hogu-sha, and let out an ice beam attack far larger and more dramatic than anything the ice user himself had ever managed.

The young man gaped in shock, seeing Eiko suddenly attack them with such violence. Until now, she seemed to be bitter and regretful…but this was fully intentional. It was only because Nobuyuki's hand reached out, seized him by his clothes, and threw him to one side before dashing as well that he was able to evade it. The others scattered too, and a good thing too as the raw power of the beam smashed through the ice wall behind it and tore it to splinters. Not only that, but massive, sharp crystals of ice were mixed in with it, and they flew through the air with such force that on smashing into the ice wall they further demolished it…all while jagged spikes erupted from the ground and tried to impale whoever was there.

To Jiro's shock, that hadn't been an incapacitation move.

It had gone for the kill.

He was almost apoplectic…unable to use his own powers for a moment. At this point, he and Nobuyuki were on one side of the destruction and the others were on the opposite. They all turned and looked to her, but while most of them were fearful and gearing up for more, Jiro was stunned.

"Eiko, what are you doing?"

However, the woman's fury hadn't changed as she clenched her teeth and glared at him. A moment later, her hands extended again…and showers of deadly icicles ripped out of them, aimed not only at Jiro but at the others. Quickly, they went on the defensive. Takeshi couldn't teleport, so he grabbed the flightless Takara and leapt for it while Satoru swung his kusarigama around again to start knocking the ice from the air. Nobuyuki himself flexed and gave a yell, turning himself into a living shield. But although the ice shattered against him, he grimaced from each blow. As for Jiro, seeing the deadly shards incoming, he held only a moment…before one tore his clothing and opened a bloody slash under his robe. "Snapped awake" by the sudden pain, he had no choice but to take off into the air, but she immediately fired at him from there too.

"You!" She shouted at him…even as Jiro was just able to see tears forming in her eyes. "I trusted you! Damn it…I was such an idiot! I should have known all along you only wanted to kill me!"

Flexing her fingers, the ice darts suddenly grew larger. Satoru, in spite of his best efforts, couldn't stop them now, and one smashed into his head and sent him sprawling back with a splurt of blood behind it. Takeshi got raked by one over his existing wound, causing him to cry out as he just managed to yank himself and Takara behind an ice wall for cover. Nobuyuki grit his teeth through the increased pain, but was pushed back by the sheer force. As for Jiro, he had to bring his staff around and start guarding himself with counter-strikes.

"That's not true!"

"You're lying!" Eiko bitterly retorted. "Akiko told me! You lied about the Jido no Hogu-sha! You lied about wanting to train me! You lied about _caring_ about me! You lied about how you thought I was special or beautiful! _You lied about EVERYTHING!"_

Suddenly, she snapped her hands forward with a few gestures and, in response, the ice went from being shards to turning into huge, curved, cruel scythe blades. Nobuyuki cried out as one smashed into him…for it managed to draw blood from a wound in his side and knocked him clean off his feet and backward. The wall Takara and Takeshi had hidden behind suddenly shattered from the raw power. As for Jiro, he tried to deflect it while getting out of the way, but failed on both accounts. The power was too great. It smashed into his shoulder and torso, and left a rather bad cut but mostly physical trauma as he was smashed so hard he went into a spiral. Losing his grip on his staff and his focus, he was knocked clean out of the sky and fell like a stone…right for the ice pillars. He wasn't hit in the head, so he managed to orientate his body around the worst parts…but he still slammed into the sharp ice a moment later, the pain digging deep into him from impact…and leaving him stunned.

Grunting, he tried to rise, but only got his head up at first. When he did, he realized something…Satoru was still up. The little man managed to duck under the scythe meant for him, and when Eiko followed up with a second, he lashed out with his kusarigamas, wrapped them around it, and then yanked off of the object coming for him to get his body up, into the air, and sail over it. He landed a moment later, now in range, and kept charging forward as he lashed out with the kusarigama blades. Even as he did so, they were surrounded with powder…intending to put her to sleep even if they missed.

However, Eiko only balked at this for a moment, before she "tightened up" and swung her hand out, sending a wave of cold air over the extended weapons…freezing them solid and locking them as well as their powder in an ice lattice. Too large and awkward to control, Satoru showed surprise as they fell before hitting their target and shattered on landing. He slowed to a halt…but didn't get the chance to stop before Eiko swung her hand forward again…causing a solid column of ice to form out of the ground and shoot straight for the Sand Moth, large enough to envelop his whole body. It impacted a moment later, causing more blood to fly from his injuries before he crumpled up around the full-body collision, and was batted back through the air like a rag doll. If that wasn't enough, Eiko swept her arm up…and a _second_ column shot out in Satoru's path and smashed into him again. Even from a distance, Jiro thought he could hear bones break as Satoru was struck and sent flying straight up into the sky from the momentum.

He came down a moment later, limp…either unconscious or worse…and looked to make another horrible impact. As a result, Jiro heard a flitting of wings and, in spite of the cold and energy drain it was taking her, Takara shot out from cover and flew into the air right for his path to intercept him. Her wings flapped clearly slower, but she managed to reach him about ten feet before impact, snatching him from the sky. Yet the weight was too much for her own weakened body, and she soon fell down as well.

Jiro grit his teeth and began to get up, as did Nobuyuki, who was still shaking his head.

"Eiko, are you out of your mind?! You could have killed him!"

"That's not stopping any of _you_ from trying to kill me, is it?!" She shot back bitterly. "None of you care if you 'kill the monster'! That's all I am to you! Something to slay! None of you will leave me be! None of you will just let me live here alone! And the more you come at me with your lies and murder attempts…" She grit her teeth in fury and reached for her head, grabbing it and seizing in frustration. "…the worse you make _everything!_ I don't want to hurt _anyone!_ But you _aren't giving me a choice!"_

Abruptly, Takeshi leapt out from behind one of the ice walls, shooting for another, and as he did he snapped his hand out and flung his kunai at her. As it went, it immediately split into ten of them, each one spreading out to take a different part of her body. She snapped to this in alarm but, luckily for her, Takeshi was just far enough away where she had time to panic and cast a wall of ice up and around her, intercepting each and every blade before it could land. Still…some of the blades were actually poking through the other side. She had barely managed to stop them. Concealed behind the ice wall, Takeshi waved his hand…making each knife vanish except one, which immediately returned to him. A moment later, he leapt out of seemingly another wall and threw the kunais once more. Jiro could do nothing either to contribute or stop this, still trying to get up. He slowly pried himself off the ice and began to grasp his staff again…

As for Eiko, she kept a shield around one part of her body now, letting the ice shell intercept the knives this time. However, they nearly shattered it to get through to her on this one, and it was only by pouring more power into the shell and thickening it that she could stop it. Yet even as she did, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. She turned just slightly…and saw that Takara had to be using whatever power her wings had regained to launch her in a lunge right for her exposed side, her jitte already out and aimed for her teeth.

However, she never reached her. The Tooth Dragon was moving fast and accurate, and yet…Eiko didn't react with panic. Instead, she brought up another hand and shot out some ice streams…and snow materialized out of the air and packed around both of Takara's wings. Both unable to move them now as well as weighed down, her face went in shock before she collapsed, the jitte going way too low and missing her entirely. She sidestepped one way, letting Takara's body fly by and crash right into the ground. Keeping the shield up with one arm, Eiko waved the other hand at her…and soon Takara was enveloped in ice as well and immobilized.

Eiko looked back up, expecting another attack from Takeshi…only to get a thunderous roar instead. She actually loosened her shield in alarm as she saw Nobuyuki, fully in bear form, nearly foaming at the mouth in rage, barreling straight for her. There wasn't a single ice weapon that Eiko could throw at him to get him to stop. She stared at him a moment as he came, showing distinct fear. But then, even as Jiro began to get his feet under him, he saw something that turned his stomach…she inhaled and exhaled, calming herself, before swinging her arm out at Nobuyuki instead.

The Jolly Bear had been prepared to slam through whatever attack she could produce. Which was why he was rather shocked when it was his vision that went dim. A blast of cold air had immediately frozen the moisture on his eyes, rendering him blind. He inhaled sharply as a result…only finding himself being choked. Eiko had supercooled the air around his head that he was breathing in to practically freeze the air itself…freezing his lungs as well and choking him. Blind and distracted, Nobuyuki shot right by Eiko, who took a page from Jiro and "slid" on a sheet of ice she made under her feet to get out of the way, and left him to crash headfirst into another wall of ice, smashing it utterly and bringing it down on top of him. A tremendous cacophony resulted as it fell, burying him in an instant and sending an echo out for miles around…

Yet a moment later, the debris burst and the raging bear came forth from it, roaring again, his lungs obviously having thawed, and spinning around in rage to Eiko. Yet before he could even take a step, the woman made another gesture at him…and, to the shock of anyone still conscious, Nobuyuki instantly fell.

Jiro was now getting highly nervous. His training had made Eiko "deadlier", all right. She had pulled off something even he couldn't do. She had chilled Nobuyuki's very blood in his arteries headed for his brain, causing it to slow and give it a lack of oxygen. As a result, he had passed out. Her control was getting better in spite of her rage and the side effects…

Takeshi leapt out again, once more planning on flinging a knife at Eiko. She snapped to him in surprise, looking caught off guard…when something odd happened. It was the Ghost Hare who actually hesitated. Jiro couldn't see it that well from his position, but he managed to catch a glimpse when he turned in the light just "right". To his amazement, from Takeshi's point of view, he saw not one but at least four Eikos. The ice-wielding daimyo had actually orientated every flake of snow and ice she was blowing around, and made them reflect her…causing illusionary images. Takeshi could still make out the real one…but not instantly. And his moment's hesitation cost him as Tatti snapped her hand out and gestured at him. Immediately, a much longer and thicker chain of ice than the one that had immobilized the samurai before lashed out, shot through the air, and smashed its heavy end right into the Ghost Hare while he was still moving between spots. The end result made him cry in pain as he felt the solid blow strike him, bending him around the length of chain, before it expanded to attach to him. Immediately, it yanked backward when Eiko pulled an arm back, causing the chain to recoil and draw toward her. As it did, she held her other hand in a fist, gathering more of that "cold energy" into it, and then raised it to fire as he came in like a fish on a hook…

When, abruptly, Jiro slammed down in the ground in front of her. She gasped on seeing him, losing control of her power, and releasing both the chain and energy she was gathering, causing Takeshi to snap through the air and crash into another ice wall, but at least not get killed outright. As he slumped to the ground, Jiro swung his bo staff up to respond to the woman, who was raising her hands to aim at him and fire. A moment later, the staff forced her wrists and hands into the air, just as she let out a blast of icy energy into the sky. As for Jiro, he focused his own power, and quickly put ice shackles of his own on her wrists and his bo, attaching her to the staff. Gritting her teeth, Eiko immediately tried to break loose. Yet the young man merely glared at her and held on, keeping her arms up and away from hitting anyone else.

"Stop it right now, Eiko! Did you forget what I told you?! You were going to try and hit him with your energy directly! Keep this up and you're going to kill somebody!"

"What does it matter to you?" Eiko snapped back. "You think I'm a monster no matter what I do! Just like everyone else! You'd feel better if I was dead!"

"No, I wouldn't!"

_"__Liar!"_

Eiko's hands flared again…this time shooting out cords of ice. In a flash, they whipped out and off of her palms, swung through the air, and lashed around Jiro's neck, instantly pulling tight. To his shock, not only did they choke him, but they soon tightened to try and cut off his carotids. He realized if that happened, he'd be down in seconds. He couldn't risk that…but he was still attached to Eiko. Reluctantly…he broke off his attack, swung his bo loose to remove the shackles, and broke the cords around his neck. As for Eiko, she immediately used her freedom to start throwing ice darts at him at close range. Quickly, the young man backed up after freeing himself, swinging his staff around in circles to deflect the attacks. After a few blows…they were both at a distance from each other…and both glaring at each other hard with their respective "weapons" ready. A moment of silence passed.

Finally, Jiro, panting a bit, exhaled and spoke more quietly.

"Alright…I admit it. I _did_ try to trick you at first. I pretended to surrender and lied about the Jido no Hogu-sha so I could catch you off guard and knock you out, then take you back to Arender-ken. And _that's all._"

"You honestly expect me to believe that?" Eiko retorted. "You expect me to believe _anything_ anymore? Every time I try and trust someone or take them at face value I either end up hurting them or they hurt me!"

She flung her hands out again, this time firing lances of ice at Jiro. He struggled to deflect them again…but it wasn't so easy this time. He was already nearing his limit from using too many ice beams, and each blow hurt him and pushed him back more and more. Some of the lances came close to hitting him in his fingers…and if they pierced those...

Over the din and the sounds of ice colliding and crashing, however, he forced himself to shout.

"Fine! If you want to hate me, hate me! If you don't want to trust me, then don't trust me! But at _least_ calm down and stop this! No matter what you say or what you're feeling, I know you well enough now to know you don't want to become a killer! And that's what you're risking the longer you draw this out!"

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say to me?" Eiko retorted as she pushed even harder and faster, making the lances bigger and causing Jiro to strain and buckle even more. "Why should I trust a single word of yours now or ever again?"

"Because you're smart enough to know it's true even without me telling you!" Jiro shot back as he continued to feel his arms ache and weaken. "Because you _don't _need anyone to tell you what you're feeling! You're intelligent enough to already know! And you're scaring yourself right now with every move you're making!"

Gritting her teeth even more fiercely than before, Eiko paused in her attacks just for a moment to bring her hands together…forming a large and highly irregular and jagged ice crystal…before launching it with the same velocity as the spears at Jiro. His eyes widened, and he tried to bring his staff to block, even bringing some power out to do it…but it didn't come fast enough. He was too drained. Instead, on hitting him, it smashed into his staff and knocked it aside, then crashed into the rest of him with enough force to make him loosen his grip. He cursed to himself mentally as the staff came tumbling out of it…again removing the bulk of his power, or whatever was left. Yet Eiko, not satisfied with that, made another gesture. As he went flying back into one of the remaining intact ice walls…sharp poles of ice ripped out of the ground and went through the clothes around his limbs, proceeding to pin him to it the second he slammed into it. None of them were too gentle, going through his skin and slicing his flesh as well…but he grit his teeth and bore through the pain, even as he now found himself immobilized and helpless.

Forcing it down, he began to speak again.

"You're afraid…" He managed to say, even as Eiko kept her hands aimed in front of her at him and started to advance. "You're afraid of everyone hating you…of branding you as something terrible… You're scared that that's all you're ever going to become… You want to drive people away from you…but it's getting to be too much for you, isn't it? The more power you put out, the closer you're coming to killing again… And that scares you, doesn't it? Because you're _not_ a demon…and you don't want to kill like one…"

Eiko slowed a bit in her step, but her look was still fierce as she closed the rest of the distance to Jiro. Managing to swallow back the pain, he raised his head and looked to her as she neared. In moments, she was nearly face to face with him. He swallowed and spoke again in spite of the hands aimed at him.

"Eiko…I meant what I said…how you're going to make something beautiful one-"

A loud smacking sound rang through the entire "ice maze", as Jiro's head went to one side. Having cut off her power momentarily, Eiko extended her hand instead to slap him across the face. Her own expression tightened in fury…even as tears started to well up again.

"Shut up…shut up…shut up!" She choked out. "More lies! All you can do is lie!"

In spite of the shame he was feeling and the situation…Jiro turned his head back around and looked at her just as fiercely.

"It's _not_ a lie!"

It was so sharp, so serious...more than anything words Jiro could ever recall saying...it actually caused Eiko to recoil a bit, and her look to ebb ever so slightly.

"I told you that I wanted to find your weakness at first, and that's the truth…but so is everything else! You're a smart woman! Don't you think that if I really wanted to hurt you I would have done so? Do you think I didn't have dozens of chances? Yes…I thought you were a monster or a demon at first because that's all anyone had told me! But when I met you and talked to you I realized just how great of a woman you were! How strong you were! How intelligent! How you were dealing with a problem too large for any one person to face and trying to tackle it all by yourself! How you were doing the best you could to try and protect people! How everything you've done to yourself and all the personal torture and isolation was because you couldn't stand to hurt other people!"

As the woman listened to this…her anger slowly began to subside. It remained present, but faded as Jiro spoke more and more to her, her tightness in her face slowly easing, and her scowl slowly loosening. Her eyes, previously filled with fury, began to soften. The tears that had been forming before remained present, but her hand slowly relaxed…and even lowered…

"Eiko, you're one of the greatest women I've ever met! You're a wise and capable ruler and you have the power to bring the same magic you've brought to yourself here to _everyone_! You're smart enough to realize everything else…so be smart enough to realize that! That there's good and potential in your power! If you want to destroy me for what I've done, then go ahead and do it because I deserve it! But please…stop this after you're finished! Not only are you not a demon, you were never _meant_ to be a demon! You were meant to be a goddess!"

By now, Eiko's look has softened quite a bit. But on hearing that last phrase…Jiro could actually hear her give a bit of a gasp. Her hand pulled back and closer to her as she stared in stunned silence at what she heard.

"What…did you call me…?"

To be honest, Jiro didn't know why he said that…only that his heart told him to. And right now, he was too caught in the moment to stop talking. And as he went on, not only did Eiko calm down…but the storm began to lessen. The temperature started to rise slightly again. It stayed freezing, but no longer the "deathly" cold.

"Eiko…" His voice was softer now. "I believe in you. I really do with all my heart. It is _not_ your fate to do what you're doing now. To live alone and afraid all the time. To be something hated and terrifying. Even if no one else in this world believes in you…please…believe in _yourself_. Because I know that that faith is justified. I'm more certain of that than anything else in this world. You weren't given this power as a curse but as a gift. Let people see it like that. And please…believe me when I say that. I have nothing else. No defenses. No power. I'm totally at your mercy…and I'm saying that if it takes you killing me to let you know that I'm telling you the truth about this…then go ahead. In fact, if it _will_ make you believe that…then I _beg_ of you."

Jiro almost wasn't sure what he was saying. He had never talked that way before in his life. This wasn't like him. And yet…seeing her like this…seeing her face filled with rage and anger and yet seeing such terrible pain beyond it…he realized he wasn't just saying whatever emotion was in his heart. He was saying _desires_. He truly didn't care if he died if it made Eiko show who she was. Someone precious…someone who didn't deserve to die…

_Wait…deserve to die…?_

Again, as Jiro thought this…he felt his heart aching as it had that morning. Once more, the tears began to form in his own eyes. And for a moment…

For just a brief moment…

He realized that he had seen Eiko before the other day.

One of his forgotten memories slowly leaked its way out…and he realized he _knew_ her for _years_.

_But…how…?_

"No! Akiko, look out!"

For an instant, Jiro finally experienced something he had longed for during the past two years…one of his memories slowly coming back to him. He realized he was regaining what he had forgotten. But a mere moment before he could fully remember it…it was gone again when he heard a young woman shouting. It wasn't Eiko. On the contrary, she snapped her own head up in alarm along with Jiro and turned around to the source.

Unknown to Jiro…or Eiko for that matter…there had been four archers, and she had only disabled three of them. One of them had managed to get in close, hiding behind the walls of ice, but had been too scared to move in due to the power she threw about. But now that she was "calming down", he decided to take his shot, now or never.

Yet unknown to him as well…during this exchange, Osamu had led Akiko to the window on the second floor, out to the balcony, and then out and down the side of the pagoda. With plenty of soft snow underneath, she landed easily, got up, and ran into the ice maze with everyone else. Between all of the yelling and carrying on that was taking place, it took no time at all for her to track down Eiko just as she finished pinning Jiro to the wall. On walking in on the scene…she was honestly rather horrified to see how the Jido no Hogu-sha had been brutalized by her and her power. It made her a little afraid…but soon she forgot about that when she saw the one archer moving in. On seeing him moments from taking the shot, she had sounded out her alarm. Yet she wasn't happy with that alone. She immediately rushed forward to personally stop it.

As for Eiko, on seeing an archer an instant from shooting her, she quickly reacted by holding up her hand, taking aim, and letting a freezing beam of ice shoot from it, intending to freeze the arrow and bow to the point of shattering after being bent. Yet even as she loosed it…Akiko reached the man and crashed full speed into him, knocking him away and to the ground, jarring his aim and his bow and sending the arrow harmlessly off in one direction…

And also putting her perfectly in the path of Eiko's ice…getting struck right in the center of the chest.

Jiro caught it…and his normally white skin turned even paler.

_No… _

Akiko's own face contorted in pain as she clutched for her chest…and she let out a moan before falling to the ground, collapsing behind the ice wall. Osamu, who had been running behind her yet, due to smaller legs, had fallen far behind, let out a gasp and charged out in the open to go for her. Yet in spite of that…the area was silent as the grave.

Eiko's own look had lost all remaining sternness. Now, she merely stared totally aghast and unable to move. Her arms had begun to be drawn in, her hands reaching for her lips in total horror. And yet…she froze before she reached there. She merely stared out, still as a statue, unable to move a muscle. Her eyes shimmered, filled with nothing but horror. Her lips trembled. Her mind forgot everything Jiro had said. She merely stood there terrified.

After a time, Jiro looked down to her. He could see only the back of her head. However…he watched as she slowly raised her hands a bit more, turned them over, and looked at them. He couldn't see her face…but he dreaded the look as he knew she was staring at her own hands in horror in the face of what she had done.

"I hit her…" He heard her practically whisper. There was a moment of silence afterward.

"I…I _am_ a monster…"

Jiro immediately tried to speak. "Eiko…"

A second later, she turned to him, holding up her hands. For a moment, he thought an attack was coming…but it didn't. It was purely a stopping gesture. Not only that, but he saw her face for a brief second.

Tears were pouring from her eyes.

"Stay away…everyone, please just stay away from me! _Don't come near me!_"

The "darker" persona was finally gone…but Jiro felt no comfort at all from it. Only horror at seeing Eiko devastated. He tried to stop her by shouting, but his attempt to call out to her went unheeded. Immediately, she took off back for the front of her pagoda. She didn't hesitated for a moment as she made the doors fly open, ran inside, and then not only shut them behind her…but quickly coated them with thick, irregular ice. Not only that…but ice quickly began to fill every last window and entryway into the pagoda…sealing it off all together. Even as it did, the storm grew more biting and cold overhead once again…the end result of Eiko's emotions flaring out of control yet again.

Jiro was left hanging there…no longer caring about his cuts and injuries. His eyes were on the sealing doors, his own look full of pain and hurt, but more at Eiko's suffering than anything else. And this time…he could see no way to ease it for her.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	9. The Onmyoji's New Master

For one, perhaps two, minutes…there was nothing but frozen silence. The wind whipping around overhead as the snow continued to fall. It was deeply cold…as bad as it had been any other day…and by now there was little question lives were in danger. Takara herself, unable to break free from her own prison, was beginning to shudder violently. But Akiko lay on the other side of the snowdrift, unable to be seen, and her condition unknown. The other men who were frozen down were beginning to succumb to the elements, and no doubt the rest of the men imprisoned here were much the same.

However, all at once, it began to change.

Jiro himself barely noticed. He was so focused on what had just happened…how everything had gone so terribly…what Eiko had just done…that he didn't even hear the hoofbeats of the few remaining riders get closer. But before that, giving a grunt and a struggle, Nakamura's body began to rise above the "box" he had been put in. Gritting his teeth, he had reached out, used the very ice spikes of his enclosure as a ladder, and crawled out toward the top. A moment later, he managed to get over the top…just as the source of the hoofbeats came around one of the ice walls and emerged.

As it turned out, it was Hachiro and his own two men with him. Actually, there were five of them at the moment. Two more of the men had been loaded on the horses and were being brought along with the other riders, both looking cold to the point of hypothermia. However, on seeing the scene, he went wide-eyed before he quickly pulled his own horse to a stop. He got off as fast as he could and motioned.

"Get these men up! Hurry!" He shouted. "Where is Lady Akiko?"

By now, the archer that had nearly hit Eiko was beginning to get up as well, having landed rough and been stunned, but of more prominence, and what actually got the attention of Jiro, was the other Jido no Hogu-sha. Suddenly, Nobuyuki rose up, grunting and straining and stretching, to full height…yet quickly shrank down to humanoid form again even as he did so. After reverting, he shook his head, letting loose some extra hair that shed off of him, and then looked around quickly. On seeing the Tooth Dragon's status, he immediately called out.

"Takara!"

She could only tremble in response, unable to move. In a flash, the big man was over to her, seizing the ice that had her pinned, and with a grunt and a yell…dug his fingers into the sides before ripping off the top of it, freeing her body. Quickly, he reached inside and pulled her out, but while he got her to her feet, she immediately put her arms around herself and continued to shudder. Yet in spite of this, she looked over to where…well…what they all assumed was Osamu in spite of his new appearance…was, and then began to move over.

At the same time, Satoru, spitting out an amount of golden blood and clutching his side in pain, managed to get to his feet as well. Yet he was limping now, and he couldn't reform his kusarigamas. Finally, there was Takashi. He tried to rise a few times, but winced each time. By now, the snow and ice had frozen his wounds, but he was still bloody and clearly weak from his beating. In the end, he only managed to rise up enough to sit against a block of ice upright, where he panted hard. Yet as he weakly looked around, he spotted Jiro once, then merely scowled and looked away.

After getting out, Nakamura went to his nearest man. He drew his sword, and held a moment. He frowned, clearly not liking to use his sword for anything other than combat, but in the end grit his teeth and went down for the chains binding them. Using the weapon like a pick and a wedge, he managed to break the chains loose on one. As for the stakes suspending the other in the air, he lashed out and cut right through them, then quickly got underneath the man's body. He caught him and slowly lowered him, but once on the ground he motioned.

"Get with Lord Hachiro and start getting the men freed and together!" He ordered as sharply as he could, which wasn't too much because he too was starting to shiver and having a hard time keeping a firm voice. "We have no fire and no shelter and this weather is growing worse. We'll have to get all the men together and try to dig something out…or see if we can get away from this wretched place first…"

"That's the least of your problems…"

Nakamura looked up to who had spoken, and saw Takeshi gritting his teeth and looking out to him.

"Those ice warriors are still out there. They'll be here any minute."

The lord heard this, and his own face tightened in anger as well. He looked about him, but only saw the men already active, and barely so, fanning out to try and find whoever was frozen and imprisoned. Takara, by now, had gotten to Osamu, but she had gone behind the ice wall. Nakamura soon cursed. "Damnation…where is Itachitoko? He made that bridge of raw magma and now he's not here to help when we really need it?"

Jiro looked up slightly at that. Nobuyuki had moved to assist in finding more individuals, when he paused and turned to Nakamura, as did the others. Neither he nor any of them had expected that. They all knew full well that Itachitoko was just a charlatan. A magician of cheap tricks. He didn't have any real power to do anything. He was a disgrace to most onmyoji. But…is that how they had gotten here? Unfortunately, none of them were in the right state to ponder how odd that was…

Nakamura, however, looked around…and hesitated on seeing the Jido no Hogu-sha mingled in with them. After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat.

"…I owe most of you an apology." He stated. "I suspected that you had all sided with that demon…but now I know better. You were merely dealing with something that apparently even yokai cannot withstand."

He immediately looked to Jiro afterward…and pointed the tip of his blade in his direction.

"_You_, on the other hand…" He sneered. "If I didn't want to waste the energy, I would remove your head right this instant, you traitorous filth. You've ruined us all by your actions. You've made that witch more powerful than ever, and now my men and I will be lucky if survive being sliced to pieces by her monsters long enough to freeze to death, and both Arender-ken and the rest of Japan are doomed."

Jiro took this…and could say nothing. In spite of how painful it was to hear it again, even from a man he never thought he would care to hear the opinion of, it was correct. He looked around…and saw those he called his friends broken and freezing. They were mixed in with men who probably didn't have long to live. And the winter was worse than ever now thanks to her state…

"I swear I will end your life for this, you miserable swine." Nakamura continued. "If I must see myself and my country die, then I will take you with me. I should have known better ever than to depend on a brash, dishonorable, wretched little maggot like-"

He was cut off…and reacted in surprise…as did Jiro and just about everyone else.

Nobuyuki, his own look, for once, angry, had stepped in between the two, holding a hand out to Nakamura.

"I've heard enough of your insults." He flatly stated. "If you must insult someone, then insult us. Not Jiro."

The pale young man actually blinked in surprise. But he wasn't alone. The other members of the Jido no Hogu-sha, sans Takara who was now with Akiko, looked up in stunned surprise.

"Are you mad?!" Takeshi shouted. "That fool just killed every last one of us!"

"Don't call him a fool, Takeshi." Nobuyuki answered as he turned to him. "He's the only one among us who used any wisdom."

The Ghost Hare looked stunned…almost as stunned as the Laughing Frost. "Have you totally lost your mind? Look what he did!"

"And look how that woman reacted!" Nobuyuki blasted back just as loudly…enough to not only make Takeshi pause in surprise, but even for Nakamura to pause and look to him. "Didn't you hear her? Didn't you see her? The woman was terrified! And the more scared she became, the more her power grew! The more terrible and deadly it was! That's why she fled from everyone! Jiro was right! She _was_ trying to protect everyone! And he tried to solve everything by helping her control her fear and her power with it! That's why the journey for the past two days was so calm compared to our first approach! All we did was make everything worse! We scared her to death, came here waving our weapons and our powers, wanted her dead first if she failed to surrender… Of course this was how she would react! And look!" He gestured around. "Even now, for all the power she flexed, we all still live! She could have killed every last one of us with ease! I could feel her chilling my very blood! A snap of her fingers and my heart would have turned to ice! Jiro was right all along! This isn't a demon! It's a scared woman! And we just made everything more terrifying for her, making all of this worse than before! Surely you all can see it! How the more fear and terror she feels the worse this winter becomes?"

Takeshi was silent. Satoru, who was up by now, paused as well, considering this. Even Nakamura hesitated. He said nothing, turning his head away, but he didn't counter it. Jiro, of course, already knew all of this…but he stared open-mouthed at Nobuyuki…not expecting this sudden defense.

The man turned to him a moment later. He slowly exhaled…and then reached out, seized one of the icicles pinning one of his arms, and removed it, getting one of Jiro's limbs loose. For now, it fell to his side.

"…You were right, Jiro. You were always right. I see now what you said…if Eiko had been brought back to Arender-ken by force it wouldn't have stopped the winter. And by attempting to kill her just now, we have made things far more terrible. I should have known from my own tenets…" He exhaled, speaking slower and more quietly. "You gave Lady Eiko the only thing she really needed when she was despairing and fearful…a friend. And had we all come here in the same light, perhaps this could have been avoided."

Jiro was silent. Although he had been partially justified now…he couldn't help but bow his head more, this time in gratitude. In a sense…this made him feel worse. How could he have forgotten about his friends so easily? Men like Nobuyuki…who was standing up and defending him right now… It made him feel two feet tall for not bringing this news sooner.

Takeshi, however, couldn't help but sigh. "Just because she was learning control of her power doesn't mean it was helping anything else…"

"But it was."

Now, Jiro, Nobuyuki, and Takeshi all looked up. They found themselves looking at Nakamura, of all individuals. His head was bowed, his hands were in fists, and he was still looking to one side, but he also exhaled.

"The winter _was_ lessening. Some of the snow and ice was even melting." He admitted. "People were beginning to hope that everything was succeeding up north…"

Jiro blinked a few times at that, while the others looked incredulous. "…What?" He answered, finally saying something. "The winter _was_ getting better…and yet you _still_ came up here?"

The man kept his head bowed, and exhaled. "Lady Akiko was missing…but, more importantly, we thought this was a 'break' in the storm to take advantage of. We may have never gotten another chance to go after Eiko."

Hearing this, however, finally made Jiro remove his own depression and worry and grow angry. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and angrily snapped another icicle off, freeing his other arm, and then he went down to his feet.

"You idiot!" He snapped. "She was _gaining control!_ The reason the winter lessened was because she was _calming down!_ Her spirit was finally starting to grow quiet! If you had given her only another week she could have stopped the winter completely! You called _me_ the 'filth'?! You came up here ready to kill her when she was undoing everything! When she was saving the country!"

Nakamura wheeled up to him and snapped back. "Don't start that! The whole reason the country was in danger in the first place was because of her! She's the one who caused all of this! The fact that she was undoing it hardly eases the case on her!"

"But the fact that she undid it meant you never had to come up here and threaten her life!" Jiro retorted as he finally gave up, ripping his leggings loose, and then leaping down into the snow. "And because you scared her so much, she might have just killed-"

"Would both of you be quiet!" Takara's voice suddenly shouted, forcing herself not to shiver as she did so. "Jiro, get over here!"

Hearing this, the young man glared at Nakamura a moment longer, but then looked away. It was true that he should have been more vocal about his intentions, and he should have respected his friends better. But the fact of the matter was Nakamura's little "quest for justice" had been what had done the worse. He realized now that Eiko never would have made those ice samurai if she hadn't seen him coming, and that this was what put her over the edge. But he put that aside for now. He couldn't afford to worry about it.

After all…he had seen what Eiko had done.

He stopped only to snatch up his discarded staff and then dashed over to her. Nakamura gave one last frown, then looked away and began to organize the men to start spreading out. Nobuyuki soon joined him, rushing forward and "punching" a hole through one of the ice walls before rushing to the other side to look for more people. He found them soon after, still frozen in that position, and he used his strength to rip them free as well. However, unlike Takara's, whose dragon blood in her reborn body was enabling her to take temperature and gales that would have left her unconscious, these men were barely awake. And with the storm still biting and cold, it was clear that they were all in danger as soon as the ice samurai returned…

Satoru, on his part, moved to Takeshi. Although he limped as if bones were broken, he tried to tend to the Ghost Hare. They'd need his power soon if the ice samurai were bringing up the rear. Already, it began to sound like hoofbeats were distantly echoing up the hill…

Jiro, on his part, soon reached Takara. She had managed to get Akiko sitting up, and the young woman was panting rather hard at the moment, like she had nearly been drowned a moment ago, and was clutching for her chest. She was shivering all over too. Osamu was nearby, looking over them both with concern, but Jiro couldn't help but pause and be amazed at how much he had changed. Eiko's power was getting better all the time… If she got much stronger…she might actually be able to put a form of "flesh" on him… The other one there was Hachiro, who had taken off his own thicker cape and put it around her, and had moved behind her to provide a surface to recline on.

The Laughing Frost remembered what he had heard Eiko say earlier…but pushed it aside for right now.

"She's not in too bad of shape…" Takara said as he neared. "But something's wrong with her. She's definitely weaker…and she seemed to be colder than she should be…"

"Really, I'm f-f-fine." Akiko tried to protest. "It…it hurt…a _lot_…but just f-f-for a moment… I could just use a warm f-f-fire right now…"

Jiro, however, for once, had gotten series as he leaned in and began to hold the end of his bo up to her. "It hurt? _How_ did it hurt?"

She hesitated a moment, but then gave a shrug. "Well…it…kind of f-f-felt like a knife in my heart…to be honest… But it went away…"

The young man, however, turned grim at that. He immediately held his staff forward and put some power into it. A moment later, the end of the staff began to glow an icy blue. It surprised those around, and attracted Nakamura's attention again, and Osamu let out a cry of awe at it. But he ignored both and kept focusing.

A moment later…something strange happened.

An icy blue glow began to appear in Akiko's chest, seeming to glow out from beneath her clothing.

"Damnit…" He swore as he cut his power off. He looked up to Akiko with a frown. "…It didn't 'go away'. It just numbed you to where you can't feel it anymore."

Akiko blinked. "Wh…what?"

"What are you talking about?" Hachiro threw out. "What did she do to her?"

"What's that glowing thing in her chest?" Takara asked.

"Ice." Jiro responded. "Not just any old piece, though…something that Eiko made with her raw power. When she fired off that shot, I think she was going for the bow…meaning to make it freeze from the inside and shatter…but she missed and hit Akiko in the chest instead."

"But…but I'm f-f-fine…" Akiko started to protest. "I just f-f-feel a little cold and weak…"

"You're _not_ fine." Jiro darkly answered. "You're dying."

Everyone's eyes enlarged. A deathly silence hung over them for a moment. As for Akiko…her own perpetually cheery look finally broke.

"What…?"

"That piece of ice inside you contains spiritual energy. The same kind that brought Osamu to life." He answered. "And something so powerful to actually be able to bestow life in one shot…it's too much for any mortal to handle. It's starting to transmute you from the inside out. You're feeling only a little 'cold and weak' right now…but pretty soon you're strength is going to start failing and you'll be much colder. Eventually you'll start succumbing to hypothermia and not be able to walk at all. Finally…you'll turn into ice as well." He clenched his fist and bowed his head slightly. "…I think it goes without saying when I tell you the process will kill you."

Everyone was stunned. Horrified. Akiko's face had paled. She looked down to herself, aghast at what she found out was happening to her. Takara cupped a hand to her mouth. Osamu looked on the brink of crying. Hachiro looked around fearfully a moment, but then back to Jiro.

"You! You're an ice yokai or spirit, aren't you? Can't you take it out?"

Jiro sighed. "I'm not even remotely on Eiko's level. She's…well, to be honest…she's a god. I can make ice…but I can't actually put the essence of life itself into it. She's the only one I can think of who can remove the ice now. But…she's so distraught and scared… I don't know if I can calm her down this time…"

Nakamura, who had overheard all of this, bowed his own head remorsefully. Perhaps he didn't care so much about slighting the Jido no Hogu-sha, but he was honor bound to protect Akiko. Now, his actions, he realized, may have ruined her only chance of survival by terrorizing Eiko. He nearly suggested that they move to kill Eiko again. Perhaps slaying her would break her power and save Akiko… However, he knew that wasn't an option. And by now, the sounds of hoofbeats were definitely getting nearer. Nobuyuki and the other men who were still able-bodied and moving through the maze heard it clearly now. Satoru was getting Takeshi to his feet, but his ears were twitching. Pretty soon…it seemed the ice in Akiko's heart wouldn't matter.

With that in mind, he swore and cursed. "Where is that damned onmyoji? Enough of his 'holding out'! If he made that bridge, then he should be able to do _something_. And I'll choke it out of him if I have to…"

"Lord Itachitoko?" Hachiro echoed back. He gestured toward the gates. "While I was riding about the maze, I saw him move to the front and slip in through the gates. I figured he was trying to lay an ambush. I wasn't frightened, though. After seeing what Lady Eiko did, I know he'll only be risking himself trying to stop her…"

"Well, even so," Takara started to protest. "We can't risk him making her even _more_ upset. We have to-"

"We have to get inside the pagoda _right now!_"

Everyone snapped to who had spoken, and reacted in surprise.

A change had come over Jiro. When he heard about Itachitoko being in the palace, alone with Eiko, he hadn't thought of him killing her. Oh no…he wasn't sure how that magma bridge had occurred, but the little "weasel man" couldn't possibly hold his own against her level of power. He'd only sign his own death warrant. At least…that's what he _should_ have been thinking and would have under normal circumstances. Yet on hearing this…he had another reaction.

It was his memory again. It was still hazy…still not "connected". Still unable to get a clear thought. Only…something terrible…something dark…and hot…like made of fire… And when he thought of that, something in his heart "resonated". Even if he didn't know what he was remembering, there was something inside him reacting to the "unrecalled" memory…and realizing something was very, very bad… Something was going to happen soon that he felt was a lot worse than what had happened so far…

He soon turned and called out over the snow maze. "Nobuyuki! We need you over here! You have to smash your way into the palace!"

"A little busy right now, kenshusei!" He voice shouted back. Without explaining, however, the man soon knew why. They all did as they began to tense up.

Abruptly, from around one of the corners, the hoofbeats grew loud…before a gang of the ice samurai burst around the side, all fully healed and with weapons drawn. From the opposite side…another group ran in. And throughout all the areas made in the courtyard, more were arriving…ready to finish the job…

Even if they didn't outright "kill them"…the weather would soon…Jiro realized as he saw them come about. Takara moved in close to Akiko, and whatever men could still fight went for their weapons. But…they were all too injured, cold, and weak. And everyone knew it as they vainly tried to get together, bracing for a battle. They couldn't win…

And Jiro knew, the longer this took, the more something bad was going horribly wrong on the inside of the palace…

* * *

Eiko didn't really know what was going on anymore. She didn't know what to feel besides fear… Arms wrapped around herself, completely distraught, sobbing unendlessly…she couldn't even find the strength to go back to the upper levels of her pagoda. She merely continued to weep as she slowly paced the hall outside the gates she had just frozen shut. He tried to make it deeper in, toward the central area where she and Jiro had trained…but just the thought of going there filled her with more distress. Her legs giving way beneath her, she collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.

Until now she hadn't wanted to die…but that had changed. Now she didn't care if she was dead or not. What had she done to Akiko? How badly was she hurt from that? Why exactly had Jiro told her never to do it? Was she…was she…dead?

The thought only made the snow rise around her sharply and the ice walls of the palace begin to crackle again. She looked around at this, seeing her power out of control…

And she clenched her fists in rage and pounded them on the floor.

"Damn it…damn it…damn it!" She screamed.

_I _hate_ this power! I hate it more than anything in the world! All it does is hurt everyone I love! I can't live like a normal person! I can't even be around anyone else! I'm tired…so tired of all of this! _

_I don't care anymore! I don't care if Nakamura and his men cut me to pieces or burn me at the stake! Just…put an end to this! Don't let me live like this anymore!_

_I'll just go out there and end it all…_

"Lady Eiko…"

In spite of her new desires, no longer caring if she lived if it put an end to her wretched life…Eiko snapped her head up to that sound. She turned and looked, and just ahead of her, tucked away in one of the sides, was one of the men who had started all of this…who had been the leader in calling her a monster and a witch. Lord Itachitoko…the onmyoji of the emperor.

"You!" She suddenly exclaimed, nearly stumbling back on her position on the ground. The snow flared up around her at once, and the man, who had just stepped out, already looking mild, cringed as icy wind blew around him. "Stay back! Stay away from me! All of you need to stay away from me!" She shouted…and, in response, sharp icicles erupted from the ground, their points toward Itachitoko.

The old man gave a yelp of surprise and recoiled, the tips nearly stabbing him as he went back. However, he quickly held his hands up defensively. "M-M-My…m-m-my lady! P-P-Please calm down! I'm unarmed! I don't wish to hurt you!"

Eiko calmed slightly, but her anger didn't abate as she aimed her hand at him, sending out more spikes to force him further back. "You're a liar…just like everyone else! All of you only want the same thing! You just want me destroyed! Well, you'll get your wish soon enough, but on _my_ terms! I know what kind of man you are! I knew ever since the first time you walked into Arender-ken for trade negotiations! I can see it painted all over your face! If I have to die, it's not going to be from you! It's going to be with some semblance of honor…not stabbed in the back!"

Itachitoko looked on the brink of soiling himself, swallowing as he backed up more, but he continued to wave his hands. "You…you have me all wrong, my lady! I only wish to help you!"

The daimyo's eyes narrowed…the spikes on her icicles growing sharper and extending.

"Alright, alright!" The man suddenly burst out. "I admit! I came in here hoping to destroy you when your back was turned! But that's only before what I heard out there! I assumed you _were_ a witch and a demon, trying to conquer this land, turn it into an icy waste, and leave it only for yourself and whoever followed you! But if it's true what you said out there…if you really hate this power within you…then that changes everything! Instead of fearing what I brought to you, you should embrace it!"

Eiko blinked on hearing this, her anger subsiding slightly. However, she kept her hand on him.

"…I'm listening…and I'm also ready to use my power in a heartbeat."

Keeping his hands up, Itachitoko swallowed, and very hesitantly reached for his robe. He slowly pulled it aside, making sure to keep his gestures "open" so that she wouldn't mistake it for anything. Eiko could tell. He was terrified of her even now, but she didn't really care. _Everyone_ was terrified of her, it seemed… At any rate, once his robe was open, he reached for a pocket inside, and pulled something out in clear view of her.

The woman, quite honestly, looked a bit puzzled at what she saw…and somewhere, deep within, she felt…odd looking at it…

It was a crystal…at least, she thought it was. It looked a lot like ice. Not "normal" ice, however. Not the kind that you would find in cold regions or in winter. More like the kind _she_ made when putting this palace together, the sort that was tinted an icy blue and glimmered like a precious stone. This one was by no means a "flawless" crystal. It was clear, to be sure, but it was also rough and multifaceted. Yet…it had a strange shape about it. It almost looked like a heart…a _real_ heart, not a symbol of one…

Most of all…she felt…strange even seeing it. It felt as if it had changed the very energy in the air in the room just by showing itself. Almost immediately, she felt her snow beginning to lessen and slowly drift to the ground.

"This is from the relics in the emperor's personal collection from past onmyoji…all of the artifacts and magical items that we have gathered over the years." He explained. "This one is called the 'Frozen Heart'. Legend has it that it once had the power to contain that of the god of winter inside it, in spite of being so small."

Eiko continued to hold her hand up, but grew a bit more interested. "There is no god of winter."

"Not anymore." He answered. "That would have been one of the ancient gods, long since abandoned and forgotten by religions as they've evolved over the years. Perhaps they were supplanted or slain by the current ones. The point being…it is said that the strength of this object is so strong that it can contain the entire season of winter within it. I myself thought it could have some use here today…and I planned on sneaking up behind you and using it while your back was turned to try and remove your power. But since you actually _want_ to remove your power…there's no need for that."

He held it out toward her.

"Try touching it, Lady Eiko. If the legends are true…it might remove your power…permanently."

The woman reacted to that, her eyes widening a bit more…realizing what he was saying. For a moment, she didn't really believe it. After all, how could such a thing be possible? It seemed like another cheap magic trick, especially considering who it was coming from. And yet…somehow she realized it wasn't. She could feel it. Just being close to her…she could feel some of that "force" within her, that raw power, ebbing a bit…weakening slightly…

Somehow…she knew it could actually do it. She could actually be rid of this curse. No more nights waking up surrounded by frost. No more fears of chilling to death anyone around her. No more bursts of ice and snow coming from her. No more accidental hurts…or murders. Nothing. She wouldn't have to live like a freak and an outcast anymore. She wouldn't have to be scared of her own shadow. She'd be…normal. Just like everyone else again. Free to feel and act however she wanted without something terrible happening… It was almost too much to believe…too much to hope for. She used to dream of this…of a life without the burden of this power…of a life where she no longer feared hurting anyone…and at last it could be hers…

She could finally go home…and lead a normal life…

She thought she wanted this more than anything in the world.

Therefore…she was more than a little surprised when she hesitated.

In spite of how much she hated her power…in spite of everything that had gone wrong…and in spite of the fact that she longed for a normal life free from fear…she couldn't bring herself to immediately jump on this chance. She might have called it distrust. Maybe suspicion. And, in truth, there was some of that there… Yet that wasn't her dominant reaction. A part of her, as insane as it seemed…didn't want to lose her power. She didn't know why… She honestly couldn't say why…but she still couldn't bring herself to reach out and touch it. In fact, she found herself lowering her hand.

She was so focused on the glittering object…that she didn't notice Itachitoko's face flash anger for a moment one seeing her not grabbing it. However, he calmed quickly.

"…What's the matter, Lady Eiko? Don't you want to be rid of this terrible curse? To no longer be a threat to others?"

The woman continued to pause. All of that was true…and yet…she couldn't bring herself to do it. She didn't know why. This power had brought her nothing but misery her whole life. One incident of pain and fear after another. And yet…to get rid of it felt…odd. Like cutting off one of her own hands… It may have been horrible, but…she realized it still seemed so intimately linked to her…

"My lady…" Itachitoko continued, his voice sounding a bit more insistent. "If you don't remove your power…the winter will continue to grow until it covers all of Japan… It will destroy your people…your nation…" He paused, and then spoke more quietly.

"…Your sister."

Eiko's thoughts cleared at that, and she actually let out a small exhale as it cleared to one thing…

_Akiko._

_ …__It's been almost thirteen years, and yet…nothing's changed. Thirteen years ago I nearly killed her. Today…what if I did the same? What if I did worse? I love her…and yet I can't even be in the same room as her for very long. I can't even see her. We live in the same house but we might as well live on other sides of the country…or other sides of the planet. She's so innocent…so energetic…so full of optimism and happiness…and I can never share in it. All I can do is be a threat to her… Even if I hadn't hit her just now…she came up here…nearly froze to death…or starved…or risked falling into a crag… And then what? Would anyone have ever found her again? Would she have ended up a frozen corpse on this mountain forever? Not even able to get a proper burial?_

_And all…because of this wretched, wretched power…_

_ …__I can't live like that anymore. I can't be a threat to her anymore. I want to be a family. I want to be able to stand next to her…talk to her…touch her without fear of freezing her…_

_I don't ever want to hurt her again…_

With that in mind, Eiko inhaled more deeply. She looked again to the crystal. She didn't look to Itachitoko this time…just to it. Even now…something was odd about it. Looking into the center, there seemed to be almost a "darkness" inside of it. A part that was shaded and not perfectly transparent. She didn't know what that meant…and she didn't care. If she could be rid of this and never hurt anyone again…never hurt Akiko again…then she didn't care what it entailed. She pushed away any doubt or hesitation, reached forward, and put her hand on top of it.

The change was almost instant. She actually let out a gasp…before it turned into a choke. The woman's body went rigid, and her pupils shrunk as her mouth hung open. To her shock, it felt as if something was literally draining her spirit from her…trying to rip her very soul from her body. It was painful…but not in any way she had ever experienced before. It was like something had arrested her completely…dipped into her and seized every last bit of life in her body. And now…it was like it was being torn in two…and forced out through her hands and into the crystal. One couldn't describe the feeling…but it wasn't something that was pleasant. Not in the least. If felt like something was dividing every bit of her flesh and carving out a "bit of her" from every "part of her" inside. She stiffened and gagged…but she couldn't breathe. She couldn't make a noise. All she could do was feel something being ripped out from her heart…from every part of her…

As the feeling went on, she felt more and more "incomplete". She felt like she was being turned from a healthy tree into a rotted, dried log being put on a fire. Physical-wise…changes began to happen. Her pale skin slowly began to grow a bit more rosy. Her hair, always the unnatural white blond, nearly seeming to be white in the right light, began to darken. Yet more than that happened. The snow around her seemed to be drained through the air as if going through a massive vacuum, and then was sucked into the crystal along with the power she could feel flowing out of her. In fact, she could see her hand glowing now in an icy blue light from the sheer energy coming through that one part of her body. And still, it continued to pull and grow brighter… She had no idea how much there had been there…

As it continued to drain, she felt more "hollow"…more "fragmented"… She wanted to stop, but she still couldn't breathe. She had no air in her lungs…and her body felt like it had no life to it either… It almost felt as if her spirit was being drained… Her heart seemed so slow…like it would stop… Her vision dimmed…her body began to weaken more and more…

Yet, finally, the glow faded…and she was released.

Letting out a ragged, hoarse gasp…Eiko collapsed to the ground. Her vision blacked out for a moment as she lost all feeling and fell to the icy floor. As she did…she heard shattering all around her before slamming down. For a moment, she lay there, wavering in and out of consciousness. Every part of her seemed "weakened"…as if she had been a castle that termites and dry rot had gone in and eating hollow, so that anyone could dismember it with their bare hands. She felt so…emptied…so incomplete…

Her strength and feeling gradually came back…but the feeling of being incomplete didn't. She still had her arms, her legs, and all of her other physical abilities…and yet she got the sense of being totally crippled. Whereas a man who lost a limb would feel "phantom limb" in the stump…Eiko was feeling "phantom body"…even "phantom spirit". Everything about her seemed awkward…wrong…as if it wasn't really her body or even her spirit anymore…

Yet physical sensations began to come to her soon after…and those overrode her spiritual feelings. Namely…a "biting" feeling was all over her…something that made her feel foreign sensations that were painful, unpleasant, and made her skin stiffen and bumps start to appear all over her. She wondered for a moment what it was…if this had been a trick…if she was being cursed somehow… Yet when she began to tremble…her mind clicked as she realized what it had to be.

_Cold._

_I feel…cold…_

She looked down over her body…even as she started to shiver more. She felt…a horrible sensation all over her. Like the very air was now loathesome to her…and her body didn't like it. She wanted to draw in more…but even as she did she noticed that her skin was starting to sting. And for good reason…she was currently clad only in frozen shards that had once been her dress. It had gone rigid, and her very movements were beginning to make it shatter off of her. But underneath…she was nude. She began to shiver more and more violently. She realized, without her power over ice, she could freeze to death in here… She needed to get out…right away…

She looked to Itachitoko, wondering if he could lend a hand…

And immediately, she stopped.

Any softness, hesitation, or "ease" on his face from before was gone. Instead…the old man with the hawk-like nose was grinning ear to ear as he brought the crystal in closer to his body. A faint blue light was shining in it now, casting a pale, icy glow over everything around it. With his other hand, he reached into another pocket…and pulled something out far more loathesome. Eiko wasn't sure what it was…but it was dark, twisted, malformed, and it smelled horrible. However, Itachitoko grinned at it.

"It's done, my lord."

Then, much to the woman's confusion…and horror…a voice came _back_ from the heathen object.

_"__Finally…after so long… Here is your reward."_

Immediately, the object began to glow in Itachitoko's hand. His grin slowly faded, beginning to turn to a look of pain and agony. His teeth clenched, and he began to grunt and groan as the object glowed more and more…turning hot. Ripples of heat could be seen coming off of it. And as they poured off…even Eiko could feel the immense amount of energy radiating from it. So could the room about Itachitoko…for, before her eyes, it began to glisten from water…and then began to drip…melting…

Finally, the heathen object melted all together. Yet as it did, to Eiko's shock, it seemed to burn a hole right into Itachitoko's hand, getting through the skin, and then turned into molten liquid that sank right into the wound, seeping into his body. He began to cry out as his veins literally turned glowing and yellow underneath his skin from the hot object melting into it… He spasmed, leaned back, and began to cry out more loudly…his face covering with sweat…his eyes nearly bugging out of his head…his face tightened in agony and misery… And Eiko, in spite of herself, recoiled and reacted in shock as well, actually crying out too at the sight of this horrible event…

And yet…after only a moment, the glowing died…and left nothing behind. Well, almost nothing. Soon…the room got warmer than ever. More than warm…hot. Heat was now radiating over Itachitoko's entire body as he kept his head craned back and looking skyward. The ceiling and walls about him were not only melting…but turning into steam. The ground beneath him began to sink from the heat he was pouring out into it…and he was growing hotter and hotter…

Slowly, Itachitoko lowered his head back to Eiko…and disturbed her even more.

He no longer looked to be in pain.

Rather…he was grinning again…more widely and more maliciously and insane than ever…and his eyes were blazing like fiery coals.

* * *

For one moment, Jiro forced himself to his feet, bringing his staff before him. As the snow continued to swirl, the wind continued to blow, and the ice samurai advanced upon them…he saw what was left. Takara could barely stand in between her pounding as well as her state. Akiko was sitting up, but that was about it. Osamu was grimacing, and Hachiro's sword was naked, although he knew it could do little. Takeshi still couldn't react while Satoru had only reformed one kusarigama, and Nakamura had his own sword up…even as his own eyes were filled with the look of one of those men who was wandering into a battle he knew he couldn't win, but was meeting it none the less. Nobuyuki and whatever men were still standing were nowhere to be seen, but he knew they had to be doing the same. He didn't know how long they could possibly live now, but he knew this had to be it…

Then…things changed.

The most noticeable change was in the ice warriors. Suddenly, they froze in midstep. They ceased their advance, and let their weapons fall. Soon after, they looked up and to the sky. This wasn't lost on the others. They reacted in a bit of surprise, but they realized they weren't pressing the attack.

"They…stopped?" Akiko sounded. "Wait…look around!"

Jiro blinked, but then did so along with the others. As he did…he noticed the snow was stopping. Not only that, but the wind was ceasing as well. And soon afterward…the temperature began to rise. And rise quickly. Soon, everyone bracing for battle began to ease, and looked around suspiciously as well. However…Jiro himself didn't stay that way long.

The fear was in his heart again…and now it was surging more than ever.

He couldn't explain it or knew where it was coming from, but at this point…he felt his insides sinking like stones. His heart was twisting. His mind was beginning to panic…

But why?

"Uh…g-g-guys…?"

The sound of Osamu made Jiro turn his head. However, what he saw wasn't a welcome sight. The snowman-turned-humanoid let out a gulp as he looked around.

"There's…something…really, really bad here… I think it's what Jiro was talking about…"

Takara looked to Jiro afterward. As she did, she noticed him…noticed how he was beginning to sweat…how a nameless fear was starting to grip him even though he had no reason for it. It was ingrained inside him. But even if it wasn't…he started to feel it now too… And the more he felt it, the more it seemed to "wrest" his conscious control away from him and act more on "instinct"…on the long buried memories. And as he brought them out, he began to feel terror accompany them…more terror and anguish than he had ever felt before… Something that wasn't just physical pain but much worse…

"Jiro…"

"He's…here…" The young man slowly answered.

Takara looked puzzled. "…Who?"

Jiro blinked once, and then shook his head. He turned fully to Takara, continuing to sweat, breathing a bit hard now. Yet at the same time, he answered innocently: "…Who what?"

"You just said 'he's here'." The Tooth Dragon answered. "Who's 'he'?"

The young man stood there a moment. He said nothing, blinking once or twice again.

"…I don't know."

"Look!"

Another call came out, this time from Hachiro. He began to point to the sky. The others followed…not only the men and the Jido no Hogu-sha, but the warriors standing around. As they looked up to the sky, they saw something amazing. Just as quickly as the clouds had formed overhead…or perhaps even more quickly…they began to dissipate. The storm lifted high and then eroded completely…and soon all that was left behind was a blue sky, and the yellow sun. The temperature soared. Soon, every bit of ice in the entire courtyard began to glisten as the heat started to melt it.

Warmth began to flow over everyone. Jiro himself was indifferent or a tad uncomfortable, but Takara exhaled in relief and let her wings spread wide, letting the heat thaw them. After only a few moments, she began to flutter them again and got into the air. Akiko herself loosened her outer clothing and took in the sudden warmth, exhaling in relief. She actually smiled a bit.

"Eiko must have done it!" She said after a moment. "She ended the winter!"

Yet almost immediately, Jiro felt the fear inside him surge…much worse than before. The warmth brought no relief to it. If anything, it got worse.

"No…no she didn't… This…is _very_ bad…"

Hachiro looked to him in confusion. "…Bad? My lord, the winter's over. Look how fast everything is starting to melt…the steam coming up from it…how warm it is…"

"Yes…rather warm…indeed…" Nakamura answered as he began to loosen his collar and pull off his cape. "A bit…warmer than it should be for this mountain, in fact…"

"Guys…" Osamu began to whimper…even as his clothing began to sag on him and his nose began to drip. "I really, really wanted to see summer, but…this feels…um…rather 'evilish' to me…"

A jingling went out. Everyone turned to the source…and saw that Satoru was motioning. His own face was starting to look fearful as well. He gestured around. By now…the heat was growing so much that there was indeed steam coming from everything…but it was coming far too quickly. Even on the hottest day after the coldest winter, there was never so much a difference of temperature to cause this. But worse than that, Takeshi's ears began to twitch, and he started to grit his teeth.

"I sense it too now. There's something evil here…and it's getting strong…" He trailed off, looking to the sky.

"…_That's_ definitely not good."

As the heat continued to rise, and the day began to go from pleasantly warm to rather stiflingly humid with all of the snow and ice rapidly melting, everyone followed Takeshi's gaze to the sky…and soon none of them were feeling good about the change in temperature.

The blue sky was vanishing. It was turning more "yellow" and blank, like any humid, hazy day would be. Not surprising considering the massive amount of melt going on, but something else was happening. Before their eyes, red streams of light began to streak across the heavens from all over. They came periodically, but all of them in such a way that they were arranged around a central point, and they all started to gather inside it. And as they gathered, they began to collect to form a sphere of red, blazing fire. It started off dim like a nearly spent coal, but as it quickly began to gain size, it burned brighter and brighter, soon becoming bright and glowing, then beginning to pour off flames, and finally, as it grew hard to look at, it started to tint the sky red…

The others looked down again…and soon began to rue wanting the storm to end. Before their eyes, the heat grew greater and greater, saturating the air with moisture. By now, it wasn't pleasant at all. It was outright muggy. Yet it was worse than that. As the heat grew…it began to lap up around things. Before their eyes, the tops of the snow walls started to turn to fluid. They didn't just drip or show major runoff…they began to run off of the snow like a small waterfall. The walls began to distort and fall all around them. The pagoda, previously beautiful, was rapidly melting and deforming. Cascades of water were starting to pour down it. And all the time…the heat grew worse and worse…more oppressive…more terrible…

Akiko let out a small gasp, and Takara and Jiro turned, and soon gasped a bit as well. Osamu wasn't being spared it. His body was beginning to shrivel and slump, and lose all of its details as water poured off of him. Not only him, but all of the ice warriors and their mounts. The horses began to thrash about as if in pain, and the ice warriors started to stagger and falter, letting out groans that were slowly turning deformed. Everyone began to notice this and, in spite of the danger they faced…they slowly realized it was a terrible thing to watch. These weren't soulless automations, after all. They were _alive_.

Finally, one note rang out over the stunned silence that got everyone's attention.

A cry of pain from inside the pagoda.

Eiko's.

Jiro snapped to the pagoda in a flash. He still felt every growing evil in there…every growing fear. By now, the rest of the Jido no Hogu-sha could sense the power as well…and none of them enjoyed it. They were beginning to sweat just from experiencing it, and not just the heat. They weren't alone. Hachiro, Nakamura, and the men turned as well. At least…the able-bodied ones. The ones that had been suffering from hypothermia not had a "temperature" shock that was rendering them even more incapable.

"Eiko!" Jiro shouted.

"Itachitoko…" Nakamura hissed, clenching his sword. "This is his doing! It has to be! He's been hiding something all along from the emperor, the shogun, and me!"

"What's he doing to my sister?!" Akiko outburst in panic.

Suddenly, a twisting, burning sound came from overhead, like the firestorm of a forest blaze suddenly changing directions in a fierce wind. The group looked up, seeing the sky even redder and the orb of fire growing larger and larger…when suddenly it sent a ray _out_ instead of getting it in…and as it streaked to the ground, it sliced right through one of the remaining ice walls, instantly turning it not only to water but to steam…and right through two of the men, one able-bodied and the other supporting him. To the shock of all those present…they didn't even have time to scream as they were burned away into ash before their eyes. However, three of the ice warriors and another two men nearby got much worse. The steam that came over them, to their horror, roasted the flesh off of the bodies of the men and instantly turned the ice warriors into slush piles. All five of them screamed in total agony.

Akiko cupped her hand to her mouth in horror. Hachiro went slacked-jawed. Takara clutched her chest in fear as even Nakamura nearly dropped his sword.

"Oh no…"

Suddenly, an impact rang out, snapping everyone out of the daze. As they turned and looked, they saw Nobuyuki suddenly leap over one of the rapidly shrinking ice walls and land on top of it, raising his elevation. He quickly pointed around the area.

"There is something demonic here! And it's only impacting this spot!" He shouted. He gestured around. "The rest of the mountain is still frozen, but it's expanding outward! And fast! The source is in there!" He pointed back to the pagoda.

"Then let's get in there, already!" Jiro shouted as he snapped around and began to run for it.

Nobuyuki immediately leapt down and began to chase after him. He didn't have his swords, but he still had raw strength, and he began to revert into bear form as he neared. Takara used the moment to get in the air again and fly after them. However, Akiko wasn't stopping either. She grit her teeth and began to force herself back up. She continued to shiver a bit, but she stripped off more of her outer clothing to take in more of the new heat.

Takara, spotting this, turned back to her. "Stay here, Akiko! It's dangerous!"

"My sister's in there and she's crying out! Don't tell me to stay behind!" She shouted back. "Ice in my heart or no, I'm not crippled yet!"

Takara was about to protest that it wouldn't matter if she was…but Akiko ignored her and turned to the melting snowman nearby. "Osamu, get out of here! You'll melt if you stay in here!"

In spite of his worsening condition, he started to protest. "But…Akiko…"

"Don't argue! Get back where it's cold!" She shouted back, for once her tone "ordering". "If you don't leave now you won't get a chance!"

The snowman hesitated. He clearly didn't like the sound of this, and didn't want to abandon his mistress or his friends. However, he finally turned and began to run off.

She turned her head up to the remaining ice samurai. "The same goes for the rest of you! Get out while you can!"

The ice samurai, if possible, actually looked surprised. They were her enemies, after all…her and the rest of the group. And they had done a great deal of pain and damage to them. Yet she was still telling them to run while they could? She was still concerned for their welfare?

However, in the end, they didn't move.

"…Our duty is to Lady Eiko. We were created to defend her." One said.

"We will do that to the death, as any true samurai would." Another answered.

Akiko held there. Not only her, but many others. On seeing them say this, talking like this…everyone began to realize that these weren't soulless monsters that had been made by Eiko. They were actually individuals with thoughts, feelings, and desires. And right now, she had even managed to instill in them a sense of nobility. She wanted to keep arguing…but she wasn't going to delay anymore. She turned and, as best as she could, moved after the others.

As Takeshi, in spite of his state…and in spite of Satoru grabbing him and trying to pull him back…began to limp forward, the rabbit-eared warrior saw Nakamura turn and yell. "All those too weak to fight get down the mountain in any way you can, but stay clear of that ball of fire in any way necessary! All those who can still fight, with me!"

"I'm going too if Lady Akiko is!" Hachiro shouted as he too got up and went after her.

Takeshi, however, focused on Nakamura and those who responded to him. "Are you mad? You saw what just happened to your men!"

"All the more reason I wish to dispatch this foe myself." Nakamura sneered as he moved for the front gates. "Itachitoko has done something horrific and demonic…and I begin to suspect he played me to do it. He'll die for this offense."

The man paused momentarily, and then snorted. "…You stubborn ass. All of you loyal samurai are." He turned forward and kept limping, trying to let go of Satoru now. "…Don't prove yourself to be the idiot I take you for by doing something stupid and getting yourself killed."

As they began to rush along, the fire streamed from the sky again…this time annihilating a large portion of the pagoda complex itself. Another beam came out soon after, ripping a "rift" into the remains of the ice maze and destroying a portion of the wall. Horrendous steam arose in the wake of both. The weaker warriors quickly tried to dart away from it and begin to make their way downhill, and with them went Osamu, who again flattened himself and took off…shooting even faster than before now that he was partially melted. Everyone else, however, turned to the gates, and got out of the way of Nobuyuki as he rushed in, finishing his transformation, and smashing full force into the barricade that had been erected.

At first, it only fractured. However, he quickly began to slam into it again and again afterward, fracturing it more with every strike. It was solid, even being partially melted, but each bash drove deeper cracks into it, weakening it more and more, until it finally shattered and crumbled all together, collapsing into a pile of icy rubble. As water continued to pour off of the pagoda and turn to steam, the highest floor already gone and the roof evaporating everywhere else, Nobuyuki came forward and raked his claws into the rubble, tearing it aside and ripping it away into bits and pieces, exposing the hall inside. By now, it was so melted it seemed more like a steamy, humid tunnel. However…there was some "coolness" in it…and right now, the heat was growing so great that it was starting to remove the humidity and turn to just plain oppressive…and burning. It actually began to hurt the mortals out there, and Jiro himself found it nearly stifling. By the time was clear and they were all free to run into the corridor, they needed to get inside just to get out of the heat. They all charged in fairly quick…except Akiko, the only one among them who wasn't sweating, and having a hard time running. However, Takara moved in behind her, grabbed her under the arms, and generated enough lift to pick her up and carry her in.

They had hardly managed to burst into the corridor before they saw something up ahead. Something was gleaming with the same fiery light as the orb in the sky, and radiating so much heat that it had already burned not only through the ceiling but into the floor as well, and was surrounded by water…that was boiling. Yet Jiro focused on none of that. He focused on a nude woman crawling backward along the remains of the icy floor as fast as she could. She was already grasping one of her arms in pain as she did so. Her hair style was completely falling apart, and by now she looked rather disheveled. Not only that…but her flesh was more "natural" and her hair color darker. Yet Jiro knew who it had to be…

"Eiko!"

The woman turned around in a snap, her face tight with fear now…but no longer from her power. From what was in front of her. Yet on seeing the others running in, her look turned to surprise. "Akiko… Jiro! Don't-"

Yet before she could say anymore, Jiro moved like the crack of a whip. Kicking off, he used his power to fly right up to her location and, in a heartbeat, was down and around her, bringing his staff around her body in an attempt to protect it as he held her closer to him. His eyes remained focused on the figure before them that was continuing to blaze. One couldn't see his face, for he had turned and hunched over…but one thing was abundantly clear. He was changing. As the heat around him roared, the sounds of fabric ripping and the smell of it burning went out…revealing muscle that was getting solid, larger, and thicker by the second on the other side…

Eiko looked confused and distraught. She looked all about her as the other Jido no Hogu-sha ran up, and she almost cringed, expecting them to finish her… Yet, to her surprise, they fanned out all around her. A moment later, the ice samurai showed up and went in between them, standing their ground to. She realized that their purpose was the same…defending her. And seeing that…honestly surprised her.

She looked around a bit more. "You're…you're…helping me?"

"Are you hurt?" Jiro asked her, looking away from the figure long enough to check her over briefly.

The woman blinked. She couldn't believe this. After everything that happened she had expected that she would have sealed her fate. But they were still coming to her aid… Why? Was it because they, like her, realized Itachitoko had done something terrible? Or was it out of genuine concern for her? Even after everything she had done? She looked to Akiko, who merely looked at her anxiously in response as she ran forward, her face tense and worried about her. She had to have just hurt her younger sister…and yet she was still here for her…

"Eiko!"

Jiro's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she turned to him. Him too… His eyes were filled with nothing but concern…the same as outside. No matter what she had done to him or his friends…he still looked at her with longing…with care… By now, she had begun to suspect that Jiro really was telling the truth…but seeing this…seeing him look at her, guard her, and bring her close…she realized it beyond any doubt.

_Damn it…I'm such a fool…_

She nearly teared up right there, but she shook her head and motioned to her arm. "Part of the ceiling…fell on me… It was like boiling water…"

Sure enough, the ceiling was dripping now…and when it hit the ground it hissed and spat almost like iron slag. However, Jiro himself looked to her exposed arm. He saw that it was bright red from having been burned, but it didn't look serious. He reached out to put his hand on it, meaning to try and cool it off to keep from deeper damage. For a moment, he clasped her arm…

But then, she began to let out a grimace along with a shiver. "Jiro…you're cold…stop…"

At that, Jiro's arm retracted in a flash, but he turned to Eiko in surprise. "Wait…what did you say?"

"Eiko, are you alright?" Akiko called as she finally got near enough to crouch next to her. "What happened to your dress? You're nude… And your hair! It's never been that dark…"

The woman didn't answer. She swallowed a bit and bowed her head. As the others looked around her, however, Jiro realized the truth. He honestly went a bit wide-eyed. He still couldn't imagine anyone willingly giving up such a thing…but considering all that had happened to her…

"…You lost your power somehow, didn't you?" He asked.

By now, the other Jido no Hogu-sha were on the front lines, but they turned and looked in alarm at that. "What…lost it?" Takeshi echoed. "How could you lose power like that? I thought it was innate to her!"

Eiko hesitated only a moment, before looking regretful. Her head bowed and she was quiet a moment. However, she also began to shiver again in Jiro's arms. "…I didn't lose it. I gave it up." She finally stated. "I thought I could finally end the winter, cancel whatever I did to Akiko, and then live a normal life…"

Takara blinked at that, and then looked up to Jiro. "Wait…if she gave up her power…does that mean Akiko will be alright? Did it cancel what happened to her?"

The Laughing Frost, however, turned grim, his own look growing more troubled. Hearing she gave up her power would have disappointed him by itself…but now he felt that nameless fear inside him starting to swell…realizing it was something much worse than that. He shook his head. "…Osamu and these ice warriors are still alive, aren't they? She needs her power to cure Akiko. It won't just 'stop' by her giving it up."

As Eiko shivered a bit more, she looked up in alarm, her look turning fearful again…and a bit more fearful on realizing the normal "snow" didn't accompany it. "What…what do you mean 'cure Akiko'? What happened? What did I do to her?!"

_"__My friends…"_ Nobuyuki suddenly spoke up, his own voice dark…and, for once, scared. _"I think we need to save this discussion for another time…for it appears this thing before us is done 'getting warmed up'…"_

Eiko, in spite of her state, looked forward, as did the others. By now, Nakamura and Hachiro were there too, and all of them looked intently at the thing within the heat and, now, fire, for flames were beginning to erupt off of it, and really examining it for the first time.

It only had a few shreds of the original robes left. By now, all of them had burned away, revealing rippling, solid muscle on the other side. The figure was hulking…not quite Nobuyuki's size as a human but still fearsome to behold. Definitely someone you never wanted to fight face-to-face. The figure slowly leaned up as it turned, revealing that its hair and mustache were like fire itself…bushy, moving about in the heat radiating off of it, and red almost like flames. The eyes, however, were much worse. They gleamed like love coals inside the head of the figure. It grinned…showing off teeth that were as monstrous and jagged as that of an oni.

However, in spite of all of that…if one looked closely, they could just make out a hawk-like nose and twisted features…

Nakamura blinked in astonishment. "It…Itachitoko?"

For a moment, the man…assuming you could still call him one…didn't seem to hear that. He only looked over himself, holding up his own hands before him and looking them over.

Yet Jiro noticed something…what he had clenched in one fist…

A blue crystal…gleaming with an icy light inside it…

_That's…_

_That's…_

_ …__What?_

_Damnit, I can almost remember…!_

"So…" The onmyoji's voice began to speak. It was much stronger than before…much deeper…much more sure of itself and less "weasely". "This is the reward that I was promised by Shitakarahi…the power he held inside me that he could afford to 'spare' to me…"

His grin widened a bit more.

"Magnificent…"

With that, he gestured out with one hand…and what looked like tendrils of pure fire shot out from them right for the group. Jiro, on his part, in spite of Eiko's trembling, quickly seized her and took her to one side. Satoru actually "checked" Takeshi to knock him over, Hachiro seized Akiko, put himself around her like a shield, and went down to one side, and Takara took into the air. Yet everyone else was too slow, even Nakamura and the ice samurai. Nakamura himself went untouched…but the fire made contact both with some of his men as well as the ice warriors…and instantly shot through to pierce through additional men on the opposite sides.

Those who dove for cover looked back and gaped, shocked as they saw the ice samurai impaled…and also the men. Both tried to cry out…but the air in their lungs was burned away as they were wrapped in heat…and burst into flame immediately. Not just any flame. The sheer heat pouring off of them was enough to make everyone else recoil…and yet they still felt like they were being burned. Yet at any rate, within moments…the ice warriors were vaporized and the men were turned into fine ash…blown away on the wind…

After this move, there were only a dozen ice samurai left. And for a moment, they reacted in shock and fear. But then, spinning around, six of them broke off and barreled straight for Itachitoko. Eiko, seeing this from her position…and feeling a connection to her creations…immediately leaned up and shouted.

"No! Stay back!"

It was too late, however. As four leapt into the air, they brought their blades out and tried to stab him from above. Two more came in from the sides, rushing right at him. Yet even as they neared…they began to erode right before the eyes of the group. Such heat was tremendous, melting and vaporizing them almost instantly as they came in… They actually began to cry in agony, but they still didn't stop. They pushed themselves in harder, trying to "take him" with them…

But in the end, it was useless. The heat rippling from his body was too much. Their weapons, on making contact…crumbled into slush and deteriorated, melting away and turning to steam. They only had a moment to look shocked…before they evaporated as well, instantly destroyed.

Itachitoko snickered at the entire attempt. "That was about as useless as throwing a snowflake on a fire…"

Everyone was shocked at that. It didn't matter how much heat Itachitoko was putting out. If one took a block of ice and threw it on a bonfire, it wouldn't immediately melt into nothing. It would likely put out a great deal of it as the fire tried to smother it. But the fact that he was now putting out this much heat… If any of them had tried to attack head on…they would have been burned into nothingness in seconds…

Eiko cupped her hands to her mouth. She was especially horrified. To the others, those had just been snowmen or automations. But to her…they had been living creatures. Actual sentient life…

Jiro, however, realizing that Eiko was trembling, paused momentarily. Keeping one hand on his staff at all times and his eyes on Itachitoko, he proceeded to remove his haori and put it around Eiko, both to give her at least some protection from the temperature extremes around them and to cover her nakedness. Even the act of putting the frost-covered garment on her was enough to snap her out of it, making her look back to Jiro.

In spite of the situation…in spite of the fact the last two men in his group now began to pull back, their confidence and bravery gone, no longer caring what happened to Nakamura or the rest, the lord himself remained bold, putting on anger and determination in spite of all of this. He tightened his grip on his sword and glared right back into those red coals.

"Itachitoko, what have you done? What is the meaning of all of this?"

The now-hulking man turned more to him, easing up on his grin but still smiling.

"It's rather obvious, isn't it, Lord Nakamura?" He boomed back. "I'm taking over Arender-ken, the capitol, and all of Japan. It's going to be my 'private domain' in the new world order. I'm going to destroy the lot of you and then, once finished, I will proceed to the capitol to destroy the shogun and the emperor, and then start a new dynasty underneath me. For years all of you looked down upon me… I've lost track of how many times I've heard lords like you mocking me behind my back…insulting my power and intelligence…when all you ever were in the grand scheme of things were dogs. When the shogun dies and is buried, who will remember you, Nakamura? Who will think anything of men like you? For all your loyalty and service, all you'll ever be is nothing more than a tool of the shogun. A trained animal. I, on the other hand…" He gestured to himself. "I actually have the advantage of wisdom, learning, and experience…and yet mindless oafs like you continued to belittle me for years. Even the emperor and the shogun laughed about my abilities behind their backs…dismissed me as a fake. Well…" He grinned again. "Does _this_ look fake to you?"

He held his hands up…and pillars of fire erupted from them. Not only that, but behind him…the ground cracked open and shot forth with an eruption of steam…and a geyser of magma. Right from the middle of the palace, the floor and ceiling evaporated, making room for a towering column of molten rock. It immediately began to eat away at the ground, digging out a much larger hole and causing the entire palace to begin to melt, deform, and slump around it. As for the group, they quickly backpedaled. The heat radiating off of Itachitoko was painful, and the steam and water dripping would boil them to death if they touched it. The heat was growing more oppressive all the time… Harder to act… Harder to focus…

The fires subsided, but the onmyoji continued to grin. "I made a deal, Lord Nakamura. You should know how good I am at making those and getting the best profit. And this one was quite the 'valuable purchase'. You see, I found a source of power…one that had long been imprisoned and restrained, and had an issue with certain individuals who kept it imprisoned and restrained… So the deal was simple. I help eliminate the threats to it…and in turn, I gain the power I have now…and control this country."

"Who gave you this power?" Nobuyuki suddenly blasted. "It must have been a demon! What's its name?"

"I already mentioned it, but I suppose you weren't paying attention." The onmyoji calmly answered. He turned his head slowly…until both Jiro and Eiko found him looking at them.

"Tell me, young people…does the name Shitakarahi mean anything to you?"

As a matter of fact, it _did_ mean something to Jiro. He knew it did…at least on a subconscious level. Hearing the name caused a feeling of severe fear…but also severe anger…to swell in him. He could feel his fists tightening and his face redden. And yet, why that was the case…he didn't know. And all Eiko could do was see the change come over Jiro as she pulled the haori around her, and looked to him tensely.

However, after a moment of silence…Itachitoko began to laugh. It was uncharacteristic for him. The power he now had seemed to be changing his personality…

"Heh…I thought you wouldn't. In fact, I _knew_ you wouldn't." He spoke in a mocking voice. "But apparently it wasn't enough that you both be totally ignorant about him right up until the moment of his latest revival. He wanted to make sure that you'd be a non-threat…especially you, Eiko."

The woman's face tightened at this, a bit of her fear giving way to irritation. "What are you talking about? I've never heard of a 'Shitakarahi'! Why would I have had any interest in him?"

Hearing these words made Jiro stiffen again. To his surprise, he noticed his body was actually trembling… That fear was coming back… But Itachitoko himself just laughed even more at Eiko's answer.

"This is too much… Seeing how totally ignorant you are right now about everything… _This_ was what he feared so greatly? An ignorant girl and some memory-less, rogue frost kami?"

That latest part got a rise out of not only Jiro, but the other Jido no Hogu-sha. Everyone reacted, although it was the Laughing Frost whose own bold look fell as his jaw hung low in surprise.

"What…did he just call Jiro?" Takara spoke up.

"He just said he was a 'kami'…" Takeshi slowly answered.

Itachitoko waved his hand. "I don't know all the details and even if I did I wouldn't bother telling you them. It doesn't matter at all. Nothing matters to the lot of you anymore. However…there is _one_ thing I'd like to say before I destroy you…"

He looked away from Jiro and Eiko here, and back toward Nakamura. He grinned.

"…Thanks for being such a good little dog and helping with everything."

The lord's boldness faded at that, and he reacted in surprise once again. However, Nakamura soon looked around to everyone else, causing them all to react in surprise too.

"_All_ of you, really. You all came together just perfectly."

Again, shock went over everyone, as well as confusion. After a moment, it was Akiko who broke it with her own bold, fiery look. "What do you mean 'all of us'?"

Yet in response, as the ceiling continued to open up…ironically making things hotter because it revealed the huge ball of fire outside, growing like another sun now…a rather intimidating moment followed. Abruptly, a huge, monstrous, and intimidating voice came from above…filled with malice and power. Obviously, the voice of a demon…

_"__Don't be so hasty, Itachitoko… I've gone parched for so long…I want to drink their despair a bit more."_

Now, everyone really did tremble. As the ice samurai that were left backed off further to try and avoid the horrendous heat, the flames blazed from the orb overhead. Nevertheless, he "recoiled" for a bit…but just from them. It seemed it wanted them to hear. Yet now, they all ignored Itachitoko and turned their heads to the sky, anxiety and fear beginning to creep into all of them. Nakamura and Nobuyuki both tried to remain bold…but it was clear that they were growing afraid the same as the rest of them. Hachiro and Jiro both braced their respective "sister" as well as it spoke…

"…You must be this 'Shitakarahi'." The Jolly Bear stated after a moment.

_"__Indeed. I don't have my body back...yet...but I can manifest myself in this plain again."_ The voice resounded, seeming to ripple through the air like heat. _"And Eiko…please don't 'play the fool' with me. Even with your ignorance of what's going on, surely you can tell what I am. Surely you know why you were of so much 'interest' to me. Or can you not see what's going on around you?"_

Eiko paused. She looked about one more moment…not because she didn't know what was happening, but because in her current state her mind was having trouble processing the obvious. Yet after only a second, she realized the truth. She let out a small gasp as she looked back to the sky.

"Fire… You're a demon of heat and fire… Which means…my power…"

_"__Could have stopped me…had everything gone as it has been for the past few thousand years." _Shitakarahi's voice cut off. _"But I wasn't about to let things 'play out' the same way they had for far too long. That's why I organized everything to occur the way it did… Everything you have done…everything all of you have done…from the time when this started to right now…was by my design. Everything had been brought to this one moment…when the Yuki no Megami would willingly surrender her power and become a mortal once again."_

Jiro's mind continued to race at this. He began to sweat more…breathe harder…tremble…as he started to see things…

Fields and forests burning from the heat of a great ball of fire…

A mortal woman…a noble…kneeling and praying…

That crystal…the Frozen Heart…going from his hands to hers…

And the more he recalled, the more painful it grew…the more misery he began to feel… It caused his staff to lower…his body to weaken around Eiko…and, in turn, made the woman look to him…

"All to your design?" Nakamura suddenly outburst. "That's preposterous! All of this happened as a result of an accident! The daimyo was born with her power! All of what transpired here could have happened at any other time!"

"Oh no, Lord Nakamura." Itachitoko interjected. "It couldn't. Don't you recall? This wasn't the end result of her power, after all. What was the real event that set this off?"

Nakamura hesitated. However, Eiko, hearing this, let out a small exhale, and then turned and looked to Itachitoko. As she did…she began to sweat again, trembling herself.

"…The death of Lord Taguchi."

The lord looked up a bit at this, blinking once, and then nodding. "Yes. When Eiko killed him, that's what revealed her power and triggered all of this…" He hesitated, then turned his head to her. "…But why _did_ you slay him in the first place if you're truly innocent?"

Eiko turned to him in a flash. "It was an accident! I saw a fire being set ablaze and I heard screaming in pain! So I tried to use my power to put it out!"

She hesitated on saying that…and suddenly stiffened. Now that she had calmed slightly, her mind was beginning to work again. Her pupils shrank and fear flooded her features again as she slowly turned back to Itachitoko.

"…Exactly." He answered. "You think just because I'm a court onmyoji, Lord Nakamura, that I don't have connections? Friends? Allies? You don't think that I would have such ambitions for the throne and wouldn't take measures to make partnerships? That I wouldn't have some who would willingly be aiding me in exchange for future favors? That I didn't have at least fifty men at my disposal for some odd jobs within Arender-ken, and that I couldn't pass along a few brief 'notes' to others who saw me as a respected and upright onmyoji and a representative of the emperor? And think, all of you…what exactly _did _all of those witnesses see? Eiko's power actually destroying Lord Taguchi? Or just people saying they saw ice stream from the pagoda to that location? Why exactly did Lord Taguchi decide to take the outer road to get to the castle instead of walking right in? Why would Lady Eiko alone out of all of you have heard screaming? Would it not be because this event happened right after she had an argument with her dear sister and been the only one outside? Did any of you bother to ask any of the people if they heard similar screaming or saw similar fire? Or were you, just like them, so preoccupied on the ice that you failed to notice anything else?"

He grinned wider.

"Anything…such as the fact that Taguchi and his men had already been stabbed by swords and not ice…and that their surroundings were set on fire _before_ ice covered them…and that their bodies didn't look roughly pierced by ice but rather had been _set_ on shards? Or were you all too ready to just 'slay the ice demon'?"

Again, shock radiated through everyone. No one, however, so much as Eiko. She had gone as still as a statue as she stared at Itachitoko. She didn't move. She didn't breathe. Everyone turned and looked to her at this. Their shock was apparent. All were silent for a few moments.

"…It was a lie…" She finally exhaled. "…I never killed anyone…"

"Lady Eiko was innocent the whole time…" Takara answered. "She was framed…"

Takeshi said nothing. He only stared a moment…before his ears seemed to lower and he bowed his head. Nakamura himself stared a bit, before his own eyes closed and he looked down.

Eiko, on her part, began to tremble.

"All of that fear…all of that pain… For nothing…"

In spite of the situation, Akiko offered a half-hearted smile.

"…I _knew_ it was somehow a mistake, Eiko. I knew you didn't have that in you…even as an accident…"

"Oh…I wouldn't say that, Akiko…"

The group looked back up…and saw Itachitoko grinning wider than ever at them as he pointed a flame-tipped finger at the younger princess.

"After all…you only have a few hours to live now, don't you? This new power lets me see the ice inside you…growing stronger and larger all the time.,.. And now that your sister doesn't have any power anymore, she'll just have to sit there and watch you slowly freeze to death…or turn into ice, barring that. Either way, the one she supposedly loved the most will be the one's blood on her conscience." He grinned even wider, almost literally going ear to ear. "I think I'll let you two live… Now that I have this new power…I have my master's love for despair and anguish along with it…and I think it would be most satisfying to watch her weep endlessly over your frozen corpse…"

Eiko's eyes flashed in anger…and in a snap her arm went up and pointed right in the center of Itachitoko's chest. However…nothing happened. The temperature didn't even cool around her. She continued to hold even after that, however, gritting her teeth and her eyes blazing with hate at him. Still…not a thing.

The demon-man chuckled. "What's the matter, Eiko? I thought you _wanted_ your powers gone? Now you're just what you always were…a stupid woman who never knew her place. You're good-for-nothing now."

Before anyone could emotionally react, Nakamura's voice spoke forth coldly.

"Lady Eiko."

The woman's anger abated for a moment, just long enough to look to Nakamura. He didn't kneel…but he turned to her…and, a bit to her surprise, he bowed.

"…I am not in a position to kneel fully before you, so I pray that this suffices. I've committed a horrible crime and injustice against you. My honor is stained by pursuing the innocent so aggressively. And in my blindness for justice…and, I admit, my private thoughts that a woman would always be an inferior ruler to a man…I allowed this worm to dictate facts to me rather than looking for them myself. However…I humbly ask one request of you…"

His eyes opened, and they were burning almost as hot as the flames.

"…Allow me to dispatch this demon to vindicate your honor before you inflict any punishment upon me."

Eiko was speechless at that, unable to say a word…but the man didn't wait for it. Rising again, he whirled fully to Itachitoko and aimed his sword at him.

"Lord Hachiro…I ask you take my men and Lady Akiko back to Arender-ken and keep her safe. None of you need die here."

Hachiro, however, in response, moved Akiko back, a bit to her surprise, stood before her, and aimed his own weapon at Itachitoko.

"This rat tricked me, Lady Akiko, and slandered Lady Eiko. I'll dispatch him myself, Lord Nakamura."

From overhead…a resounding laugh, deep and dark, came from the orb of fire.

_"__With the power of the Yuki no Megami contained, I don't even need to waste time watching the outcome of this 'battle'. There are plenty of other mortals who wish to die trying to destroy me in the capitol. They're all yours, Itachitoko."_

With that…a bit to the surprise of everyone, the flaming orb suddenly moved away from the ceiling…shooting off into the distance. As it departed, the sky turned darker again, giving way once more to a blue sky instead of a red one. And in the surrounding area, some of the horrible heat vanished. Unfortunately…there was still plenty coming from Itachitoko. As the magma died down behind him, it left a cavernous pit in its wake, which water continued to pour down into. Columns and bracers of the ice palace began to fall next, and the entire place continued to deform and slump from his head alone. Yet still, Nakamura and Hachiro stood their ground and showed no fear.

The horrible flaming man just snickered. "You two really are fools, aren't you? Open your eyes and look at me!" He held his hands up and to his sides. "I have demon fire incarnate in my veins! Power the likes of which Japan has never seen in a mortal! What do you plan to do with your flimsy little swords? I'll melt them into slag the moment they try and-"

_"__Shut up already!"_

Itachitoko turned his head to that…only to suddenly be slammed by a beam of cold energy…large, intense, and burning with such a sharp chill that the heat was banished and frost lined the entire corridor as everyone shuddered from the abrupt plunge in temperature. Even the bold demon-man didn't shrug "this off". His heat held for a moment…but even then he buckled and strained underneath the power. His eyes widened a moment, not expecting something cold-based to actually be hitting him with so much force…before it broke through his heat all together and smashed into him, ripping him back through the air, carrying him down the hall over and past the crater he had made, and smashing him through a melting ice wall.

Everyone was rather stunned, but didn't need to look to see that Jiro was now before Eiko, face blazing and tight, and grasping his staff hard. However…he was also panting quite a bit and sweating. One of his muscles twitched.

"I…I can't do that again…" He said in between pants. "But I'm going to fight him anyway. We have to get the Frozen Heart away from him and back to Eiko…not only to stop him but to save Akiko…"

Takeshi held only a second, before he grit his teeth, pushing back his pain, and drawing his kunai out.

"…You heard the kenshusei." He flatly stated. "Since we're all in pitiful shape…we're all going to have to work on this together. Mortals and yokai."

_"Allow me to draw the brunt of his damage."_ Nobuyuki said as he cracked his knuckles and came forward. _"It won't be pain-free…but the rest of you make targets about him as fast as you can. My guess is for all his power he lacks experience. Fighting multiple targets is too much for him. We must get close enough to hit that object from his hand."_

"How do we do that?" Takara asked as he twirled her jitte and wiped some sweat from her brow. "He'll melt anything that gets close…"

"Not around the Frozen Heart." Jiro stated in response. "The area right around it is cool. We'll have to hit it just right…but if we do he'll lose it. He can't melt something coming right at it."

"Sounds like my specialty…" Takeshi said with a grin.

Satoru, in spite of the fact even walking looked like it hurt him, snapped out his arms, making his kusarigamas reappear.

In addition, the remaining ice warriors flanked them. The others looked to them only a moment, but they didn't stare back.

"We're with you, sirs. We will defend the honor of Lady Eiko with our lives."

"Could always use the help…" Takeshi snickered.

"Force him toward the walls and any water." Jiro stated, his voice unusually smooth and firm for the 'Laughing Frost'. "For all his heat…it's sapping his energy the more he gets 'cooled', even if it doesn't look it. Let's go!"

Immediately, he took off…not running but actually leaping into the air and letting his power make him fly forward. The others charged after him. The ice warriors, seeming to glide on the store, soon caught up to him next. Not bothering to run, Takeshi tapped his foot on the nearest shadow and slipped inside, now with the clear sky giving him plenty of shadows. Takara flew forward, her wings restored. Satoru limped forward as best as he could, clearly bringing up the rear. Even Hachiro and Nakamura dashed faster than him. Nobuyuki, once again transforming into bear form, dropped onto all fours and ran forward as he sprouted hair and muscles. Soon he built speed and kept coming.

Before they even reached him, the wall broke around Itachitoko before it began to melt as well…and slowly the hulking demon-man leaned out, grinning madly. He didn't even look too upset for what had just happened, in spite of the fact it obviously hurt him. Yet as the ice melted around him, he got up and out of the wall…and started to hover in the air. The heat started to ripple off of him again, and somehow gave him the power of flight, it appeared. A moment later, Jiro, the man in front, aimed his staff out and fired off a storm of razor-sharp icicles at him. Itachitoko never stopped grinning…but he did actually raised his hand this time to increase his heat and vaporize all of them. A moment later, he snapped his fingers out…sending out four of those ribbons of fire at him at once. However, the Laughing Frost was back in his "game" with the staff…and easily and effortlessly "swung around" through the fire pillars. A moment later, the other ice warriors were on him. They didn't attack as the first six did, but quickly began to circle around and began to fire their arrows of ice at him, transforming their swords into the bows. He quickly put out another hand, built up more heat, and vaporized these as well, only grinning at the attempts to stop him. Soon, his head turned to Jiro, and his eyes gleamed a moment before two more beams of fire erupted from them straight for him… These ones moved too straight and fast to dodge…

However, before they could touch him…Nobuyuki burst forward and crossed his arms in front of him, guarding his face and torso. The beams of heat tagged them right in the middle soon afterward…and soon hair began to burn and the smell of burnt flesh went into the air. And yet…Itachitoko was the one who registered some surprise. The beams were burning the bear yokai…but not cutting through as they would through ice or metal. He was actually "holding it".

A moment later, Takara flew in from one side while Takeshi popped out of the other, and immediately threw his kunai at him "boomerang style". On seeing the two yokai coming in after him, his attention turned first to the Tooth Dragon, who was already rearing back her jitte and shooting in for his teeth. It forced him to cut off his fiery vision and spin around to her. Snarling, he raised his hand up…and increased the heat. As a result, Takara winced, and quickly extended her wings to let the heat rising off of him push her away. She had to abort her attack to stay away from him. However, in doing so…he left himself open to Takeshi throwing his boomerang. And as he heard it near, he turned and looked…and nearly gasped as he saw it headed right for his hand holding the Frozen Hear. Quickly, he dropped to the ground, letting the blade sail overhead…

And soon, he found himself on the move again as, dropping out of his heat, he found a fresh storm of icicles assaulting him, both from Jiro circling around him as well as the ice warriors. All of them were going for his eyes, so that even as he grit his teeth, his smile staying gone, and turned up the heat…just the splashes alone blinded him more. Hissing, he lashed out with both arms to fire more streams of flame at them…only to yank them back a moment later as not one but two golden kusarigamas lashed out and nearly hacked at his limbs. He whirled to the source, and snarled to see Satoru advancing on him. He was slow, but he made his weapons flash out again and again, rapidly assaulting him with them like they were whips. Gritting his teeth, the demon-man quickly generated walls of flame around him so hot and burning that the heat pouring off of them melted off pieces of the kusarigamas each time they neared.

He sneered, and his hands began to flame brighter than ever as they gathered enough heat to destroy Satoru with one flaming blast…only for him to see something coming from his side. In the interim, Nobuyuki, ignoring the burns on his arms, had seized a large frozen building piece and flung it right at Itachitoko. He actually gaped a bit on seeing it, before hissing, turning his hands up, and directing the heat toward that instead. Soon, an intense beam of fire erupted and smashed into it, shattering it through thermal shock and sending steam and boiling water everywhere. Yet even as he fired off the powerful beam, he let out a small cry as he felt his footing slip underneath him. He looked down, and realized that the floor below him had been reinforced with ice again temporarily, courtesy of Jiro, and it was long enough to make him slip. He staggered, and quickly tried to use his power to get in the air…only to get another shock. Both Nakamura and Hachiro had taken a moment to run through some of the cascading water of the ice palace, soaking both of them in near ice cold water. As bad as it was, it allowed both to come in close, and Hachiro gave a yell as they both swung out for his side. The onmyoji was again caught off guard, and had to quickly get to the sky to avoid the attack.

Unfortunately for him, the others weren't letting up. The brief interim allowed Takara to once again shoot out for his teeth, and this time she was so fast that it forced the man to back up…right into the path of Satoru's hammers. Both shot out for his head, and he quickly had to fly again to avoid them…only to get another dose of ice knives from the warriors and Jiro. He quickly put out his hand and generated heat to stop them, but, caught too off guard, the knives cooled his hand before a larger knife from Jiro managed to get all the way in…and actually tag his palm enough to break the skin and draw blood. Not used to pain, he yelped and went down to the ground again…and instantly the two samurai moved in once more. Although the water rapidly evaporated around them and their skin began to burn again, they sliced out two more times, moving Itachitoko back even more than before. He grit his teeth and recoiled, walking right into a deep puddle of the melted water, exposing his legs to more coolness. Steam arose from him, and he hissed as he looked down. Yet that distraction nearly cost him again…as the kunai of Takeshi sailed out for the Frozen Heart once more. Again, the onmyoji managed to look up just in time to move his arm out of the way…but not enough to clear this time. The kunai came around and actually cut a shallow slice in his arm.

"Arg!" The onmyoji shouted. In spite of being so shallow, even a small amount of blood wasn't what he was used too. He hissed in rage. "You'll pay for-"

That was as far as he got…before the hulking form of the Jolly Bear, roaring and fuming, leapt into the air, on top of him, and smashed into him. In spite of the fact his paws were instantly burned badly, he made contact with Itachitoko and, tw the demon man's shock, shoved him back and forced him into and under the water. Immediately, burning steam rose up everywhere as it started to boil, but fresh cold water was running off of the palace and into the impression all the time, keeping him "underwater" and cooled. As for Nobuyuki, he bellowed again in a voice that cracked the ice around him before his paw fists went down again and again, smashing violently into Itachitoko's head, pounding away for all he was worth.

The others, panting a bit from that rapid chain of fighting, all paused momentarily and looked, watching Nobuyuki tear into the onmyoji for all he was worth. They couldn't tell if he had released the Frozen Heart under the boiling water, but it seemed ludicrous that he wouldn't have considering the tremendous pounding he was getting.

"We've got him!" Takara cheered with a grin.

"Don't get cocky!" Takeshi snapped as his kunai returned to him. "If this isn't working, then he's going to be-"

Unfortunately, the Ghost Hare didn't get a chance to finish…for, to everyone's shock…Nobuyuki suddenly curled up violently before he was thrown off of Itachitoko's body, smashed high through the ceilingless part of the room to the tune of a blow that sounded like thunder, and finally came back down on the opposite side…smashing through an intact ceiling before slamming into the melting ice floor. His body was smoldering…especially around the stomach, where the burning imprint of a hand was located.

Soon, the water boiled off so quickly that even the steam evaporated…and fire erupted in its place as the raging form of Itachitoko came out…only a few small trickles of blood running down his forehead…and consumed with rage. As his fire burned brighter, he held out his hands around him and bellowed.

_"__ENOUGH!"_

With that…the palace went to hell. Abruptly, not only geysers of lava, but great towering pillars of magma began to burst out throughout the entire mountainside, including all over the pagoda itself. To everyone's shock…soon the entire room they were standing on was fractured into pieces, breaking and spreading apart everywhere. Everyone was split into separate groups as the magma beneath the ground turned the place into an uneven, multi-tiered hell, with flames and lava shooting out from in between. Two of the ice warriors were immediately destroyed as a result of lava bursting out beneath their feet, and Satoru nearly fell in, barely managing to lash out with a kusarigama around the piece of rock that had broken up into the sky beneath him. Takeshi quickly teleported to more solid ground. Nobuyuki, miraculously, landed on a "stable" piece instead of being dumped right into magma or lava…for he was too stunned to rise.

Akiko and Eiko, however, were another matter entirely. Both of them were suddenly separated as a burning tower of magma rose up right in between them, shooting into the heavens. Both of them gasped, and nearly looked to each other and called out…when the ground beneath Eiko rapidly started to fracture. With the terrain growing uneven, she suddenly cried out and began to spill back.

The sound of her voice alerted Jiro and the others, and they actually ignored Itachitoko for a moment to look to her. The Laughing Frost saw her spilling back…and the ground behind her giving way to more lava…

"Eiko!"

He nearly took off for her…before Takara shot by instead, moving faster even than he could. He stopped where he was, and watched as the Tooth Dragon rapidly reached her, moved in behind her, braced her, and pushed her back up into standing position.

"I'll watch her and Akiko!" She shouted. "Focus on that monster! You're our only shot against him!"

Jiro hesitated. He longed to go after Eiko…but he realized that it was more important to get the Frozen Heart from Itachitoko. With that in mind, he whirled back to him…and just in time too.

Flames were literally dripping off of Itachitoko as he rose up higher into the sky, looking over the last remains of the ice palace melt into nothing and a flaming crater arise in the center of the broken, jagged, unnavigatable landscape. A moment later, he extended both of his arms out…and let forth towering columns of flame from them, spreading them all over his surroundings, and moving around to bathing every rock column in the heat.

This was rather hazardous for those bound on the ground. Although Hachiro and Nakamura had been lucky enough to get on stable columns, they could do nothing to survive this latest blast. Quickly, they both turned and leapt for other suspended columns, just as the flames came by and literally melted down the one they stood on. Hachiro managed to land on one, although he began to waver as soon as he did, trying to keep his balance. As for Nakamura, he ran and leapt…but only managed to grab another thin column, and quickly he hung onto it for dear life, even as the heat and magma around them continued to "mix up" the ground and the landscape about him.

The columns of fire continued to move…one going for Satoru and the other going for Nobuyuki…the two "helpless" ones in the bunch. Takeshi quickly tapped his foot…sinking into the shadows and popping out in a column behind the one Satoru was suspended from. Between them was a flaming gulp with lava lining the bottom far below, but worse than that was that Takeshi was still too injured to really do anything physical. Nevertheless, he grit his teeth and leapt out for him. In spite of gritting his teeth in pain and agony, he landed on the column with Satoru a moment later, seized him, and then leapt off again…just as the column came by and incinerated it. However, he was in agony from the jump, and he cried out as he stumbled "lopsided" through the air and crashed into another column…only halfway. He hit the edge hard, and only just managed to dump Satoru on it…before he began to side off almost lifelessly and headed for the lava. Quickly, the Sand Moth spun around and, through his own pain, seized one of his arms…but between his strength and injuries he could barely hold…

However, the other column of flame was heading for Nobuyuki, who was only now beginning to roll himself up into a seated position. Unlike Satoru, there was no one to "bail him out". Jiro spotted him, but he didn't have near the strength necessary to save him. There was only one thing he could do…and so he leapt up and sailed high into the air once again, shooting over and toward Itachitoko. By now, he knew he didn't have any power left in him for another icy blast…so he did something that pushed him to the limit anyway. He aimed his staff down and began to generate a stream of freezing cold hail on him instead, with icy wind blowing hard enough to feel like it was cutting to the bone…

Yet it didn't trip up Itachitoko. In fact, it didn't get a chance to reach him this time before he cut off the blast headed for Nobuyuki, only to aim it up and discharge the same wave right toward him. It immediately evaporated the weaker frozen move and soon sent a wave of heat that was stifling even before it reached him. Quickly, he brought his staff in front of him instead and generated ice to act as a shield…but still got slammed so hard and surrounded by so much heat that it nearly overwhelmed him. But the force was even stronger, shoving him back further and further…and melting the ice of his shield as fast as he could throw it…faster, even…draining what was left of his power…

Yet trying to take advantage of this, the ice warriors that were still standing began to shoot their ice arrows at him again, trying to exploit his weakness. While it managed to make him cut off the attack, he used the moment to whip his other hand around and once more shoot out the tendrils of fire. They flashed through the air like whips themselves, before striking two of the warriors and destroying them instantly. The third, however, leapt into the air, trying to go for a "diving slash" against his opponent. Yet Itachitoko merely flicked his finger up, and the flaming ribbon shot into the sky after him…and sliced him in two.

However, in spite of the pain the ice samurai felt, and the heat rapidly melting the rest of his body…with his last "breath" or whatever he had, he flung his katana blade-first right in between the eyes of the demon-man. Due to his split focus, he couldn't protect himself fully from it…and the dulled tip smashed right in between his eyes a moment later. His thick skull protected his brain, but blood burst forth, and he yelled in agony as he reared back, losing altitude again…

By now, this was the moment Nobuyuki, who just managed to get back on his feet, was waiting for. Rearing back just a little, he lunged forth, sailing over the rocky, magma-filled landscape, arms open wide, meaning to tackle Itachitoko while he was still stunned…

But while still a ways off, the onmyoji looked up and hissed. "Not this time!"

He waved his hand…and to the shock of anyone who could afford to look, including Jiro, who, freed from the attack, was struggling to regain his breath and bearings…a "wave" of magma suddenly surged up from the floor beneath them, raised high and into the air, huge and impressive as a tsunami, pouring horrendous heat over all of them…and right for Nobuyuki. The huge bear had a moment to look to the side in shock…before all of the raw magma swarmed over him, ripping him clean out of the sky and engulfing him. A moment later, it yanked him down, back through the pillars, back for the lake of lava beneath…and plunged him right into it, making him vanish below the molten rock.

For a moment, Jiro hovered, horrified at what he had just seen. The magma wave fell into the lava…but nothing else. No movement. After all…if any of them had gone in, there would definitely be none. By now there would be nothing left but ash…

In spite of his pale skin, Jiro's face reddened. His hands clenched his staff so hard the wood creaked…before a razor-sharp icicle appeared on one end, turning it into a spear. His eyes focusing on Itachitoko and filling with horrible rage, he dove like an arrow bolt, intending to impale him through the heart. He didn't care how much heat got put in his way or what Itachitoko tried. He wanted him _dead_…

Yet moments before impact, when the demon-man turned and looked, seeing Jiro coming in, he didn't bother casting any fire. Rather, to the young man's shock, his arm swung out while his body sidestepped…and he seized the incoming staff, bracing it to one side against his body…while his other hand went out and seized Jiro by the throat. He was coming in so fast that he "ran onto it", and as a result actually gagged himself.

The hand immediately tightened into a crushing grip…and bathed his face in horrendous heat. Not only was it painful, but it was also stifling…gagging and choking him along with the painful grip that was now beginning to burn him…

Itachitoko, on his part, ripped Jiro's staff to one side. Between him being hurt and stunned and dizzy from the heat, he couldn't stop him from doing so. And once he had it to one side…the flames surged so much that it began to burn the Laughing Frost all over, only now coming from the hand with the staff. Jiro, on his part, quickly reached out and seized for his neck. His own body generated cold…even without the staff…but to his displeasure he realized he wasn't stopping it. It only caused him small relief. In fact, Itachitoko was dragging it out, it soon became clear, wanting to see him exhaust himself trying to beat back the heat…and only _then_ burn him alive when there was nothing left. Yet in the meantime, he clenched his other fist tighter…and Jiro's staff began to crack and glow from within, as if fire was breaking out inside it. In spite of being nearly smothered by the heat and struggling to keep from choking, Jiro looked to it…

And saw it as it exploded into cinders. Some of them even smashed into Jiro, burning against his skin even further. But he couldn't move…and could barely even fight against the crushing grip. He wasn't even kicking now. He was weakened before, but between the stifling heat and the pain, he was now losing consciousness. Even the horrible, ghastly face in front of him started to fade to black…

As Itachitoko felt the young man start to go limp, his grip easing and his arms beginning to fall…and, with it, his last vestige of being able to keep himself from being burned, he leaned in close and grinned wider.

"You cocky little brat… Always calling me 'Itachinootoko'… Now look at you, you miserable dog… Aren't bragging now, are you? Aren't able to do any of your little practical jokes either, eh? Just hanging there like the trash you always were. Yokai or not, now you know who your 'betters' are, don't you? Now do I burn you away right here or do I let you feel more…gah!"

The demon-man was cut off…as a slushball smacked him in the face. Unlike other attacks, he actually winced and recoiled from this. It seemed not only had he lowered his power enough to draw out Jiro's torture to where this would work…but he was so agitated by cold that he actually let the Laughing Frost go…who, unconscious and limp by now, immediately began to fall down into the same pit as well. It was only due to pure luck…namely two columns being close to each other and him landing on them in such a way to wedge his own body against them that he didn't fall into the lava the same as Nobuyuki. As for Itachitoko, he rubbed at his eyes as if hot oil had been thrown in them, and he blinked and tried to clear his eyes enough to see what had happened…

A moment later, Takara gasped from where she stood, closer to the periphery. She had been so busy trying to get Eiko to more stable ground that she didn't notice what happened on Akiko's side. Now, the older sister gaped as well as she saw what she had done…abandoned "sitting on the sidelines", grabbed one of the melting piece of ice, got as close as she could, and then threw it right into Itachitoko's face as he leaned in against Jiro. She was much closer now but still on stable ground. The heat was actually beating back her cold as she glared up at him defiantly.

However, the onmyoji blinked again to clear his eyes and hissed as he raised his hand. "I've had enough of you, you bi-"

Abruptly, his eyes seemed to blaze like coals brighter than ever…smoking pouring out of them…and his mouth opened to let blood begin to roll out of it.

He had gotten too close to the ground again, instinctively lowering every time he was blinded, it seemed. And Akiko's distraction had done more than free Jiro. That was obvious now…as the bloody end of a katana, superheating and already starting to melt and deform, protruded from out of his chest.

Behind him, his sleeves burning away from Itachitoko's heat, his own flesh being singed, but his jaws tight and his look determined, Nakamura held on with both hands as he had used all he had to push his sword right through Itachitoko's chest.

"For my men, you mongrel." He snorted…before he raised a leg and kicked out for one of his muscular arms, namely the one holding the Frozen Heart, and knocked it clean out of his hands. It was cast into the air for a moment, flying to the side, looking like it was doomed to fall into the magma and lava as it descended…before Hachiro, already waiting, reached out and seized it before it could. Flashing a grin, he held it aloft afterward to show whoever was still able to look that he had it.

That wasn't much at this point. Satoru, in spite of his agony, was just getting Takeshi back up on the rock. Takara slowly lowered, and let Eiko alight…but the former immediately looked enthused. Even Eiko looked hopeful, seeing that Nakamura had done it. In spite of all of Itachitoko's new power, he had got him through the chest. The lungs or his heart had to be pierced…

Yet as Itachitoko stood there, continuing to gag…he slowly stopped, and lowered his arms. But they didn't slump. He purposely lowered them. He stood there afterward as the sword continued to deform and melt…until finally it shriveled into a gleaming pile of slag and fell out of his chest. Part of it was still in him…but in spite of that, he calmly looked around to the lord, grinning again.

Seeing this, the man's own stern look turned to surprise.

"Silly mortal." Itachitoko snickered. "How can you 'stab to death' one who is living fire?"

With that, he snapped around, melting the rest of the sword off the hilt, turned to Nakamura…and drove his hand forward into his chest…punching his massive fist part of the way into it. Nakamura gagged himself, stiffening, blood erupting from his own mouth…before the heat began to be pumped into him. Soon, fire was raging out of the onmyoji's fist and into his body…making his organs smolder, cook…and finally burst into flame inside of him. Nakamura didn't cry out, but he continued to hang there as fire burned inside him and erupted from his mouth. Then it melted out his eyes and burned from there. Then his nostrils…his ears…and finally started to melt the skin off of his body from beneath. But by then, he fully burst into flame, and was soon an engulfed corpse.

In less than fifteen seconds, Itachitoko pulled his fist out…and the ashy corpse of Nakamura fell to the ground and shattered into dust.

Akiko, Takara, and Eiko were all horrified at this ghastly act. They stared open mouthed at it…seeing the samurai's noble sacrifice be all but in vain. Yet Akiko, in spite of this atrocity, wanted to make sure it wasn't for nothing. She looked up and shouted.

"Lord Hachiro!"

The young man, looking transfixed on what had just happened, nearly apoplectic, looked to her. Itachitoko also looked up at the shout, making the younger sister yell quickly.

"Throw the heart to Eiko! Hurry!"

Hachiro looked to his hand, seeing the odd crystal with the pale blue icy light inside it, and then looked back to the side. Akiko was closer, but Eiko and Takara were a distance away, and hearing what the younger sister had just said made the older one look up expectantly. A moment later, Hachiro yanked back his arm. Itachitoko snapped fully to him, his body tensing, and Eiko got away from Takara and began to move closer, meaning to grab it as soon as it was off.

The young lord held for a moment longer, not moving, still primed to throw…

And then…slowly relaxed and stood again as he smiled…and not in a 'friendly' manner.

Eiko and Takara both blinked in surprise. As for Akiko, she gaped at this. "L…Lord Hachiro…throw it! What are you waiting for?"

The lord merely continued to stand there…still smiling…and his eyes anything but warm and innocent. Seeing this…Eiko's own face slowly turned to a mixture of realization and terror. She already knew what that look meant...her fears were justified all along. To Akiko, however, she still didn't realize it. Yet it became obvious to Takara as well as soon as Itachitoko relaxed and continued to smile.

Hachiro looked up to him.

"I'd like to take my compensation now, if that's alright."

Itachitoko merely kept grinning. "By all means. You have the Frozen Heart, after all."

Takara herself turned to horror on knowing what that meant. Akiko, the most naïve of them, continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"Hachiro…?

"My father…" The man began to explain, speaking smoothly and pleasantly as he always did…but with a look that bore nothing but malice…as he held up the crystal and idly twirled it in his fingers. Soon after, he reached up with his other hand for his garments, and began to pry them open. "He had a 'thing' for names. That old tradition of naming the sons after when they arose… So, being the eighth son of the lord, I was destined for nothingness except to die as a younger, forgotten sibling…unless I managed to marry into the family of another province." He got to his inner robe, and began to expose his chest.

"Arender-ken, naturally, was the best choice. Not only was the land rich and bountiful, and it had the eye of the shogun for years…but it had only female rulers. There would be no need to hope that an 'older brother-in-law' died in battle or of disease. Since the male head of the house, even married in, would have precedence, I could safely marry either you or Eiko and hold the position of daimyo."

Now, the realization truly began to hit Akiko. Hearing this, she went still. Her own mouth loosened as her arms drew inward. "What…what are you say-"

However, she was cut off. Hachiro, his chest now exposed, suddenly brought the Frozen Heart around and placed it against his own chest…and shoved. Immediately, a sound like rapid freezing went through the air, and the crystal gleamed brightly, while from the points of contact it sent in cracks of light like frozen ice trails into Hachiro. He stiffened, and trembled, like he was putting the coldest piece of ice imaginable against him. And yet…slowly…to everyone's shock…the Frozen Heart began to "seep" into his chest…sinking right into his own flesh…

In moments, he calmed enough to speak straight as he continued this.

"I spent years…honing my dress, my manner, my speech…my conduct…everything…with the intent of being the perfect match for any woman I came across…especially ones as young, naïve, and sheltered as you, Akiko…ones who were so desperate for attention that all I had to do was hold my arms open wide…" He calmed here more, for the crystal was nearly inside his chest now. He removed his hand, but it sank in the rest of the way, making more of the icy lines appear around his chest, snaking out to his limbs, up his neck, and even into his head and face…yet he didn't react. "And you'd come running to them… But I was transparent to the one man who knew what it was like to put on a false face. And for a moment…I was scared. I figured he'd expose me. After all…if I tried to claim I knew his _own_ intentions, he had the greater respect…

"But he reassured me. He said he'd keep my secret…and even give me something better in exchange for a few favors…like hiring the nearest bandits to set a few fires and stab to death a lesser noble, and then have my men place him and his retinue on ice shards and pay them to keep their mouths shut… And in exchange, he said he'd give me something better than Arender-ken…"

The glow slowly died down…but as it did, Eiko began to tremble in fear as she saw Hachiro's skin turn paler…and his hair begin to bleach as well. His eyes became more vivid, like blue ice crystals…

"You see…Shitakarahi will soon envelop this entire world in a volcanic hell…everything burning and dry and barren… Japan will be left to Itachitoko, who'll do much the same…making it _just_ cool enough to live in eternal misery and heat… And…" He chuckled. "…well, that will make everyone want any relief they can get. They'll be _desperate_ for it, in fact. And that's where I come in, you see…"

He began to advance after that…and as he did, he waved his hand out before him…and instantly made a bridge of ice form between him and where the women were. It was crude…sharp…dangerous…and ugly compared to anything Eiko made, but he chuckled none the less.

"You…you can't mean…" Akiko tried to protest.

"What do you know? Whatever I think of just pops up… I'm going to have fun with this…" He said as he continued to advance. "Pity this had to be wasted on a simple woman. I should have known she'd never have half the imagination necessary to use it for anything useful…"

He kept advancing…and as he did, a storm of snow began to appear around him, whipping about his body. Eiko cupped her hand to her mouth and shook her head at this…not because she feared Hachiro…but because she had so readily given up her power to keep it from tormenting the world…and now it had ended up in the hands of a dark and soulless monster who wanted nothing but to use it to hurt others.

"Where was I… Oh yes. And with the rest of Japan a waste…well…even if my new domain in Arender-ken is icy tundra, with nothing but night and ice for as far as the eye can see…everyone in the world will want to flock there for at least some relief from the heat. It'll be the only place on this entire planet with darkness or cold. I'll be able to demand _anything_ I want in tribute." He grinned a bit more maliciously. "_Any _price or homage that I request. Lord Itachitoko can have Japan…and Shitakarahi can have the world… _I'll_ be the only man who has the love of every last human being when I become the Yuki no _Kami_. I'll be the only one alive who has nothing to fear even if the rest of the world is burned to ashes."

Akiko stared in horror a bit longer…but also hurt. After all, as Hachiro approached her…she saw no more love in his eyes. And she realized the full truth now…perhaps finally getting a touch of her sister's wisdom. The whole reason he had encouraged her to go out…the whole reason she was to come here…was because he intended, all along, for Eiko to do something like what she did. To freeze her heart. And as a result of the anguish and despair she would feel…he further intended her to give up her power…so that he could take it now. He had played her as easily as he had played Nakamura and everyone else. _More_ so…

And she went with all of it…because she had foolishly thought he was her one true love…

Even as he neared and blocked off the heat…she began to tremble again. She wasn't subjected to his own cold, but she could feel it inside her…growing larger…chilling her from within… Her arms began to raise and go around herself. Yet in spite of that, she clenched her teeth and glared at him…even as tears welled up in her eyes.

"You're as much of a demon as _he_ is!" She snapped in bitter anger

"Aw, don't say that, _wife_." Hachiro responded with the same grin, growing nearer…the cold around him making Akiko shiver and cringe. "After all, I still plan on removing the ice from your heart. That is…"

His grin widened as he reached out to take Akiko by the chin.

"…After you've given me _something_ in return."

Akiko, realizing what this meant, looked a mixture of disgusted and horrified…but this was too much for Eiko. Power or no power, she immediately took off for him, ignoring the heat of the pillars or the fact that there was no straight path.

"Get away from my sister, you mongrel!" She shouted.

She wasn't alone. Takara, her own face flying into anger at the vileness of Hachiro, sprung into the air and shot straight for him, jitte out and ready to knock him in the teeth to not only throw him into soul-wrenching agony, but also to dislodge as many of those teeth as she could. She moved like a shot, faster even than Hachiro could react…

For all the good it did.

Itachitoko was watching all of this, and by now had more than enough time to recover and focus. Abruptly, he pointed a finger…and a beam of heat shot through the air and pierced both of her translucent wings. The cast-off heat from the impact rapidly lit both aflame and burned them out, causing the Tooth Dragon to drop to the ground. She soon screamed in agony as she rolled furiously on the ground, trying to put out the flames before they roasted her back as well. But Eiko, not pausing to help, kept running forward, eyes on Hachiro, her body tensing up as she was ready to strangle him to death with her bare hands.

Hachiro, however, saw her coming at her slower gait, and simply snorted before pointing a finger out to one side. Instantly…a thick, solid sphere of ice formed in midair…and a moment later shot to the side. Eiko didn't even have time to look before it smashed into the side of her head with a sickening crack…spilling blood both over the sphere as well as the side of her head. Her look turned to agony only a moment before it went flaccid…but the worst part was the force was so great she was ripped clean off of her feet, thrown into the rest of the ruined chamber…and her body was sent flung into the same crater where all of the water was still pouring in.

Akiko was horrified and began to run after her at once. _"EIKO!"_

However, she was cut off in pain a moment later as Hachiro reached out and seized her by her hair, forcefully yanking back in a way that brought her down to her knees, for he nearly yanked her hair out of her scalp. In spite of this, and in spite of her growing weakness, she forced herself up to try to move again, trying to fight and break free of him. Chuckling idly at the whole thing, as if he found it "cute", Hachiro held his hand out over her, and a glow came around it.

In response…the piece of ice within her glowed, and Akiko suddenly went rigid and gasped, as if she had been stabbed. Soon, her body was seized with a violent chill, and she fell to the ground, cringing in on herself involuntarily. As she shivered fiercely from the cold, he let her lay only a moment before he reached down and seized her roughly by the back of her clothing, yanking her back up to her feet, and then pinning her close to him by putting an arm around her.

"I'm finished here." Itachitoko muttered from his position. He began to hover again, surrounding himself with heat and rising. Yet even as he rose…the lava pits in the area began to rapidly cool. The burning and fires began to subside. A cold chill from the natural weather began to come in. By the time he had lifted up and out of the ceiling, some of the water began to refreeze again and the lights dimmed. However, he paused here and looked down.

"Shitakarahi is still reviving. I won't get my own full power before then. I'd be tempted to join in the destruction of the capitol now, but it seems if these people were able to stress me…I'll hold off for one more day. By then, there'll be more than enough fear and despair to go around as Shitakarahi heats up the entire country. Then I'll flatten the shogun and the emperor. You, on the other hand…I'm sure you wish to establish your new kingdom."

"True." Hachiro idly responded. "But it's not far from here. And with my new power…" He chuckled. "It's nothing for the one true Yuki no Kami."

"I'll leave them to you, then." Itachitoko stated…before the heat around him flared, enough to once again make everyone below feel uncomfortable, including Hachiro…and horrible bat wings of fire erupted from his back, before they pitched around and let him take off for the south. With his new power and speed, it didn't take long before all that was left was a flaming trail in the sky.

As he departed, the heat finally abated. The natural coldness of the mountain came back, and all of the water began to slow as it started to refreeze. Hachiro took a moment to look about the ruined area. Takara had managed to put out the remains of her wings…but was now flightless, burned, and in terrible pain. Satoru had gotten Takeshi up, but he had passed out from his injuries, and the Sand Moth himself had fallen to one knee. Jiro remained where he was, still out of it…and the fate of everyone else was unknown.

He grinned as he pulled Akiko tighter, relishing that she trembled more violently from the cold coming off of him, before he twisted his hand up and gestured…causing a pillar of ice to erupt beneath him and start to push him into the sky. As he did so…the sky overhead turned gray and thick again…just as bad as it was before when Eiko was casting the storm. Soon…it grew even worse than that, and began to dump snow on the area. Lots of it, in fact…and being whipped around even more fiercely and windier than before. The temperature plunged must quicker than last time…and soon Takara, only half conscious to begin with, started to curl into a ball…while Satoru himself had to put his arms around him. He tried in vain to extend his hands to make a kusarigama to lash out for Hachiro as his ice column pushed himself and Akiko higher…but it was no good. He was too weak and dizzy.

Soon, the magma and heat was forgotten as the temperature continued to plunge in the area…and Hachiro soon rose far above the ceiling. When he did, emerging into the rapidly-freezing world beyond, he gestured around him…and immediately thick walls of crude, ugly, and formidable ice erupted from the ground. The snow grew nearly to white-out conditions as it rapidly blanketed everything that had melted with more snow…but in the process the ice walls grew larger and thicker around the entire ruin of the castle…enveloping it in a thick hemisphere of ice…

"Might as well get started on building my new kingdom now, don't you think?" He called down below. "Let's see how much the former queen of Arender-ken likes having a 'frozen domain' when she can feel cold. I always was fond of 'ironic demises' in literature… Look on the bright side…you have no risk of burning to death now."

Satoru, by now, was the only one left to look up angrily…and though a furious jingling sound rang out, it was lost on the wind. Slowly, the area around him grew darker as the dome neared completion…

"Enjoy the tomb I went to the trouble of building for you." Hachiro called down. "At least…for however many hours it is before you all completely freeze to death."

Right as he finished saying this, the ice dome completed. Akiko looked down to it…but couldn't protest or fight at all. It was too cold, especially now that she was in the weather. She could only weakly open her eyes in the midst of her shivering and look down to the frozen prison that had just been made beneath her.

However, she turned her head a moment later when more of the snow began to coalesce together nearby. In spite of the whiteout conditions, the snow collected and gathered, packing in one location, and as a result drained enough from the air that she could see the ground…and saw a large, hideous, jagged, icy beast beginning to take form…lashed to something forming at the same time…what looked like a cruel slab of ice lined by jagged spikes. Some sort of transport…

Hachiro grinned at her.

"Well…no sense in letting you wait here until your sister dies, Akiko. Let's head back to my…heh, I mean _our_ kingdom."

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Since everyone keeps asking...

Nakamura was an original character, not based on anyone from Frozen or ROTG.

There is no "Pitch", "Kristoff", or "Sven" in this story.

Finally, I revealed a lot of the back story in this chapter and I'm sure some people can put the rest "together", but if you can't the "last few gaps" will get revealed the next chapter when Jiro regains his memory.


	10. The Eternal Courtship

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To clarify...

The name "kami" has come to mean in modern myths and media, even in Japan, a term more synonymous with "god". However, historically, it's an umbrella term that can apply to any spirit. It's still used when referring to gods, hence Hachiro calling himself the "Yuki no Kami" in the last chapter, but I'm using it in more of the secondary sense. Hence, when Jiro is said to be a "kami", that means he's a spirit as opposed to a yokai.

* * *

Jiro wasn't sure how long he sat in that crevasse. At first, the heat boiling up from below only weakened him more and progressively made both him sweat and the ice above him melt, causing him to slip down a bit more. Yet when the entire area was enclosed in an icy shell, and the exterior of that wrapped in a horrendous blizzard, it didn't take long at all for every last bit of molten rock and magma to cool. By the time he finally fell, it was no longer a pit leading into a magma tunnel, but a series of chasms leading into an icy cave. In spite of how hard he landed on the ice, enough to do even more injury, he showed little in the way of pain. He was back in his "element".

And being in his element, once more surrounded by cold and frost, began to aid in reviving him. Slowly, his senses started to flow back, like someone very slowly awakening from sleep and, at first, mistaking real sensations for those from dreams. And while there was certainly a great deal of physical pain in those sensations, both from trauma as well as burns and cuts, it was a "deeper" pain that was far worse.

In his semi-conscious state, he began to think of the brief visions he had seen. He remembered snippets here and there… Things that he had recognized without "recognizing"… Things about all that had transpired… How that ball of fire in the sky had been intimidating…but was far more terrifying to him than the others…and how it did more than just scare him. It angered him. The Frozen Heart…that mysterious jewel…how it looked so familiar…how he swore he had seen it before with its icy light…in the palm of his hand… But most of all…that face Eiko made…seeming more familiar than anything…more distinct… Not only as her in her "natural" look…but when she was de-powered…when she was in pain…

That last look began to drive not only pain but terror into him. In his current state, he writhed in his unconsciousness, even as he began to become more alert, slowly more aware of where he was. As he started to come to, the pain grew too unbearable…the fear too much. Like a child fighting to wake up from a nightmare, he didn't want to see "the rest". He tried to get himself to wake up…to make the vision fade into blackness and mist…to reenter the waking world and quickly forget the whole thing…to spare that pain…

Yet somehow, in his semi-aware state, he realized this…and when he did, his hand subconsciously tightened into a fist as his jaws locked…

_No…don't run from it…_

In spite of the situation, in spite of his pain and fear, he tried to think about it. It made things even worse, naturally. The fear flared inside him. He began to quiver. He felt tears mounting in his eyes. He told himself to let it go…to forget it…to let it fade into oblivion…

His other fist tightened.

_No…I won't…I won't! I don't care how painful it is! I don't care how sad it is! I have to know! I have to remember! This might be my only chance! I'm in pain…I'm terrified…but that pain and fear let my friends down!_

_It let Eiko down…it let all of this happen to her…_

_She's…_

He paused a moment, and then made his thoughts firm.

_…__She's the most important woman in the world to me. She's worth all of my pain and fear. I won't let anything hold me back to hurt her again…_

_I want to know…_

He was trembling all over now, and tears rolling down his cheeks, but he held none the less. He focused on what he had seen so far and kept focusing.

And finally, at last…it began to come back to him…

* * *

_The countryside was a waste. It actually looked less "settled" than what he was used to. Far more trees. Far less developed land. More fields still strew with rocks and weeds. More mountains that had never been quarried. And yet…it was impossible to appreciate any of the natural beauty of the place, because all was dry and barren. The grass had already shriveled up and died, leaving only parched ground, cracked and dry. The trees had long since withered. Some were brittle. Some were actually smoldering, as if they'd burst into flame. All were dead. The creeks, ponds, lakes, and everything else was totally dried up. Animals lay dead and rotting, although some were already down to bleached bones._

_There were no kingdoms here. At least…not what Jiro was used to. This was when no one built a home or shrine taller than one level. Before there was much in the way of sophisticated architecture. Back during the years...ages, even...prior to the shoguns when Japan couldn't even be "imagined" to be a single nation, but rather whatever group of men controlled whatever region. However, there were still some simpler dwellings made from whatever building materials the primitive people could manage. Yet these were dry and nearly to the point of burning themselves now. Some of them were even blackened. The people inside were either dead or dying from the horrendous, unending sun and heat._

_And above it all, ten times the size of the orb that had appeared over the mountain, was a massive flaming sphere. It truly did look like it had supplanted the sun, for none could look around the flames and heat to see what was beyond. _

_Yet through it all…a flaming object…like some sort of winged creature…seemed to encircle it…_

_Far below, back on the ground, on the dusty remains of a once vibrant mountain, within a shrine made of logs and stone, which helped keep it at least a little cooler than the exterior…there was a lone young woman kneeling before a vestibule to the gods far in the back. She had stripped most of her clothes off except for undergarments, yet she continuously sweat buckets. She was on her knees with her head to the ground, and did not move but continued to silently pray as she had for the past ten days. She rose only for three reasons…to light fresh candles on the vestibule, to change the incense, or to get a precious drink of water from a nearby stone jug._

_Abruptly, she shifted, raising her head. She was panting and dizzy, it seemed…but her face was also quite unmistakable._

_It was the face of Eiko as she appeared now._

_She turned to the jug, grasped it with a trembling hand, and held it high over her head and over her mouth. Yet her rationing was at an end. The last few drops of water, three in all, landed on her tongue and barely cooled it. Nevertheless, she put the jug down…and returned to her prayers at once. Even as despair and fear sunk into her eyes, she forced them closed and continued. It seemed she was prepared to do so until her final breath._

_Suddenly, however, she felt a sharp, cold chill blow through the interior of the shrine. Considering the unending heat that they were being subjected to, it immediately made her lift her head, realizing something had changed. The icy wind would have normally been painful, but it was the first "coolness" she had felt in days… It was more than welcome and refreshing. A moment later, a voice accompanied it._

_ "__So…planning on praying until you fall down dead, I guess?"_

_She immediately turned…and saw Jiro leaning against one of the stone walls. He was different now. He was still the same face, and he was still young-looking, but he was smoother, cockier, and didn't have the "care" that he had now. He seemed more sly and mischievous…definitely not as "gentle" or "concerned" about her, or anyone else, as he was now. But he had his bo staff, leaning over one shoulder, and his arms were crossed as he looked to the woman._

_She turned fully around to him. She didn't get off of her knees, but an eagerness and hope was in her eyes. "Did the gods send you?"_

_ "__Yup." Jiro casually answered. "I'm their 'spokesman', as it were. A little ol' frost kami. Seemed to be appropriate given the situation. So…what can we do for you?"_

_ "__Stop Shitakarahi!" The woman instantly begged. "Put an end to this horrible heat! Please!"_

_Jiro, however, merely chuckled. "What…and ruin this 'endless summer' you wanted so badly? You lazy humans got exactly what you wanted. You were willing to turn your back on the gods in exchange for no more winter and no more night. Just one endless growing season. Now that you have everything you asked for, you want it gone?" He snickered. "Wow…you're fickle."_

_The woman was unperturbed as she put her head to the ground. "It was a foolish wish…and I admit we were all wrong to ever ask for such a thing… But please…help us now! I've prayed to the gods unceasingly for ten days now! I've kept the candles burning and kept offering incense! We're sorry! But if you don't come to our aid-"_

_ "__No-no-no-no-no…" Jiro cut off, leaning off of the stone wall and pointing the end of his bo staff at the woman, making her look up in alarm. "_You_ are sorry, hime-chan. And you weren't even the one who wished for this sun. You tried to warn your people, remember? They, on the other hand, seem to be perfectly content to die in their pride without admitting their fault…"_

_ "__Then stop it for me!" The queen insisted._

_Jiro merely shook his head. "No can do. The ones I represent say you should have tried a bit harder to stop them in the first place. You knew exactly what they were asking for, and yet you let them go forth anyway. You're the representative of your people. You need to show more responsibility than that, hime-chan."_

_The sound of fire breaking out outside suddenly came forth. It was so loud, and caused such dry crackling, that the woman cringed at the sound. Nevertheless, she swallowed and continued to beg._

_ "__You're right…I _am_ responsible for these people. Which means their sin should rest upon me. And here I am…groveling and weeping, on their behalf, for the gods to please put an end to this. If not for our sake…then for the world! Look! The land is ruined! There's no more water! No more food! No more plants! Every last animal is dying! There soon won't be anything but a burned cinder left of this land!"_

_Jiro's smile ebbed a bit. "And if you get a reprieve from all of this…you humans will go right back to craving the 'easy path' within a generation. That's your nature. All you care about is getting power as quickly and easily as you can without thought to consequences, or the process it takes to get that power and be responsible with it. Your people were foolish enough to side with this monster. How long will it be before another demon comes by and offers them another deal that they jump at?"_

_Still, the queen wouldn't give up as her head touched the ground again. Tears began to flow from her eyes once more._

_ "__I'll do anything…absolutely anything…for them to put an end to this curse. Lay the blame of each individual man, woman, and child upon me. Let me suffer for eternity in this place. Demand anything of me or my ancestors. Just…_please…_please put a stop to this…"_

_Hearing these words, said between choked sobs, seeing the proud woman mortifying herself completely before him…made Jiro lose some of his cockiness. He had little love or care for humans. He thought they were so petty and warlike. So prone to letting their emotions control them. So quick to look for easy ways out. Yet…seeing this mortal woman here…it actually made his own expression uncomfortable…_

_Words were spoken to him…words only he could hear. The only sign in the real world that they had been spoken at all was the frost kami looking to the sky momentarily. He stared for a few moments at it, even though all he could physically see was a rock ceiling, and then he looked back down to the woman. _

_A moment later, he reached inside his robe…and emerged with an object glowing with an icy blue light._

_The Frozen Heart._

_The air in the chamber immediately got colder. It went from pleasantly cool to ice cold…enough to make the woman shiver. That, in turn, made her look up as she exhaled a blast of misty breath…and she marveled at what she saw._

_ "__What…what is that?"_

_ "__The last remains of the god of winter." Jiro answered, his voice a lot lower and calmer than before. "And with it lies both the instrument of your salvation…and the price you will pay for it."_

_The woman trembled a bit on hearing that, swallowing, but then leaned up more. "…What does it entail?"_

_He walked forward, holding it out to her._

_ "__Take it in your hand. Hold it to your chest. The spirit of the former god of winter will then flow into you."_

_She blinked. "And…I'll become an avatar?"_

_ "__No, more than that. You'll become something rather 'unique'." Jiro went on. "But in the most basic term…the spirit will merge with your own, forming one new spirit. You will, in turn, become the god of winter yourself."_

_The queen's eyes widened, clearly shocked at hearing that._

_ "__But you won't be like the normal gods. Much of the former god's power became one with nature itself, which is why winter comes and goes without him. But always you'll have command over it. Nevertheless, because you are both a human soul as well as a god's soul, you will retain a mortal body but have all of the powers of a god. There's no other way you would be granted this power. You must remain weak and frail so that you never become corrupted by your own strength. Now…you'll gain many of the advantages of being a god. You won't need food or sleep. You'll be immune to illness. And you'll be totally immune to cold, no matter how bad it becomes. But there will be 'tradeoffs'._

_ "__Since you willingly accept the punishment of your people…your soul will now be immortal. Even if your body dies, you will be reborn again and again forever. You will never enter the rest of the afterlife. And you will continuously be punished as a result, as well."_

_This made the queen blink. "…Punished? Punished how?"_

_ "__I'm afraid I don't know that." Jiro answered. "They aren't telling me."_

_ "__But I'll have the power to stop Shitakarahi?"_

_He gave a nod. "Yup."_

_The woman didn't even hesitate. She held out her hand. "Give it to me! Hurry!"_

_Jiro, however, pulled it back slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't be so hasty about that, hime-chan." He answered. "Do you know what it means to be an immoral soul with a mortal 'everything else'? How much torment that will end up being for you?"_

_ "__I don't care!" The woman shot back. "If it stops that demon, if it saves who's still alive of my people, then it doesn't matter!"_

_The frost kami hesitated a bit more. He looked on at her for a little longer, but then finally snorted and shook his head. "Quite a noble one, you are…" He said before holding the Frozen Heart forward._

_Immediately, the queen seized it, and then held it close to her chest, wrapping her arms around it and pressing it in, as if to hurry up and make it transfer faster. And soon…lines of glowing, icy-blue light began to trace out of her chest to the rest of her. As they spread, she stiffened and spasmed. Her teeth grit, clearly uncomfortable, and she began to tremble all over from the feeling of cold running into her veins… Yet the heart wasn't "absorbed" as it had been with Hachiro. It merely drained its power into her…causing her skin to pale and her hair to turn white-blond…_

* * *

_Far over the baked, dying country, encircling the great flaming sphere…indeed, actually one with it…was a different figure. It was hard to say what it was…only that it was nightmarish and horrible. It appeared to be some twisted synthesis of creatures, all of which were fearsome and deadly. Its body had traits of a ravenous tiger and dragon, and its appendages were those of some sort of bird and rat. The result was something malformed and ugly. Its entire body seemed to either be a thin skin covering raw magma, or made of magma itself. The eyes glowed as bright as sunbeams itself. It seemed, at least at first, to be nothing more than a fierce monster, mindlessly circling the orb in the sky of its own creation._

_That was before a voice cried out to it._

_ "__Shitakarahi!"_

_The eyes flared a moment, the teeth barred, and it looked down._

_The one mortal who never bowed down to it even before was there…and she seemed…different. Not just physically. It appeared there was some sort of power to her now. Although he could make out nothing, something about this creature was strangely loathesome to him…_

_Nevertheless, he snarled as he swept around and began to descend. He didn't go all the way to the ground, but rather hovered in between heaven and earth and glared down at her._

_ "__I don't care for the lack of dignity in your tone, mortal… After all…you are in the presence of your god."_

_ "__I will ask you one final time to remove that sun and begone." The woman coldly retorted…and Shitakarahi could almost swear he saw a light in her eyes…one that actually made him feel…strangely uncomfortable. As close as he saw, she should have been roasting away in his heat. Why wasn't she?_

_At any rate, he snarled at her. "I don't listen to meaningless human authorities. I don't listen to _anyone_ anymore. Your people have given me all the power I need. You're nothing to me. You can burn along with the rest of this world as I make it into a flaming hell worthy of my greatness. After all, I have no need of your sickening praise and adoration like so many of those gods you abandoned. At this point, you're only annoying maggots to me. Go find yourself a place to burn to death in, woman."_

_The woman didn't answer. Instead…she aimed both of her hands skyward. The demon snarled. Whatever did she think she was going to do to him? Especially now? What sort of power did she think she had?_

_He found out the answer a moment later as, to his surprise, the wind around her began to circle. When it did, it abruptly turned cooler…so cold that it actually made flakes of snow appear in the air. The red coal eyes blazed again, before the monster hissed in anger. Cold…loathesome, wretched cold… But how? Hadn't he eliminated all of it? How was this woman doing it? Was she some sort of mage?_

_But before he could think any more…abruptly the woman's body illuminated in icy blue light, before, to the sound of cosmic ringing and chiming in the air, a massive beam of what looked like "cold energy" erupted from her palms, actually pushing her back into the ground, and sailing right for Shitakarahi. The demon sneered as he saw the beam thunder for him…but didn't move at all. A moment later, it slammed into him with a rather harsh and hard impact…_

_And did nothing._

_He merely put up his hands and held the beam at bay. He was only the smallest bit tensed. By comparison, the woman was tightening her muscles, clenching her teeth, and putting a great deal into it…and doing nothing._

_He growled. "_This_ is the power behind your meager threat, you little wretch? Did you think just simply striking me with cold was going to do anything more than irritate me?"_

_The woman, looking up through the beam, as blinding and strong as it was, couldn't help but realize that he was speaking the truth. He wasn't even buckling. For all the power she put out, he still held. So, on that note…she grit her teeth and forced herself to go harder. Sweat now began to roll down her brow as the beam grew in intensity and size._

_The arms of the demon buckled a bit, and he went back possibly a millimeter…and then no more._

_ "__Trying to make things even worse on yourself, I see…little nothing…" He sneered._

_The woman didn't answer. Closing her eyes…she pushed more. No one could see it, but she began to tap fully into the power inside of her…the power that she recently received that she thought was without limit, that it would be disastrous to pour all forth…she now forced out. Suddenly, the beam doubled in size, and began to spread ice crystals in its wake as it froze the very air. Shitakarahi, who until now had been gritting his teeth slightly, suddenly went more wide-eyed than before as fresh coldness slammed into him, forcing him back…albeit slowly…and into the air. Now, he began to hiss and groan, showing real pain. His body started to quiver as he had to put out more strength…and now felt the terrible cold sapping away at the strength in his limbs. He was pushed higher and higher…_

_ …__but also closer to his demonic sun. And as he neared, the sun flared…and sent more heat into him…enough to envelop his body in a flaming aura. Growling again…he let his arms fall and relax as flames and heat enveloped him, effortlessly pushing the beam away from the queen. By now, she was buckling for everything she was worth. Her legs and arms were starting to give out. Yet to her horror, she hadn't even wounded Shitakarahi._

_ "__You…you have the power of a kami inside you, don't you?" He shouted down. "No…a god! But it means nothing! Your mortal body can't possible control that much power! And for daring to make me feel pain…I'll burn each and every one of your people into nothingness myself!"_

_Hearing this, the woman's eyes filled with fear and terror. Dread seized her. She knew the monster meant it. And right now, he wasn't even struggling. Her beam was only making him hold his ground and keep the aura about him, generating endless power from that flaming sun. And as soon as she dropped it…he'd kill her and then destroy what was left of her people…_

_The woman realized that…and her face turned from terror to determination. She took in two deep breaths, preparing herself, and then one more…and on the third and final closed her eyes and put even _more_ force into the blast…tripling its current size and making it instantly coat the area around her for ten miles in ice._

_Shitakarahi's fury gave way to shock. Seeing that beam headed for him, he quickly spun his arms down…meaning to generate more heat…meaning to beat it back with a counter of his own…but it was too late. Before he could bring out his power, the beam smashed into him, and this time sent him flying backward into his own sun…_

_ "__No…! Damn…you…!"_

_The woman didn't answer. She didn't even look. She poured out more and more of herself…not only her energy but her very spirit and soul into the attack…and so she slammed Shitakarahi back further and further until at last he was forced into his own flaming sun, the beam plunging him into it._

_Yet rather than recharge him…as the queen used more and more power…the demonic sun literally began to shrivel up, like a fire suddenly robbed of air. The surface rapidly cooled as it condensed and collapsed, shrinking back in on itself, losing energy. As she fell to her knees and continued to force power forth, the red sky faded, clouds and darkness replaced it, and snow began to fall as the orb shrank and shrank and shrank until it was less than the size of half a human…before it suddenly warped and twisted in on itself, like a deflating bag of air. Slowly it twisted and turned, forming a new shape…_

_As the beam finally died down, its generator's arms falling as she fell to all fours…the heat was gone. The country was coated with ice, and now snow began to rapidly fall from the discharge of power. But something else fell with it._

_A statue looking like it had been carved, or shaped, out of molten rock…twisted in the form of Shitakarahi. It slammed down into the snow and ice, and was rapidly covered by the emerging blizzard._

_As for the queen, she exhaled once…and then collapsed into the snow as well._

_Dead._

* * *

_Jiro couldn't explain the feeling inside him as he looked at the corpse of the queen, slowly being covered with snow as well. Normally, he would be overjoyed at a time like this. Seeing the snow coming down…the horrible heat giving way to a very long, severe blizzard as a result of that abrupt discharge of power. The life of a mortal didn't mean anything to him, after all._

_And yet…he didn't feel "good" looking at her body…_

_After a moment, not changing the grimace on his face, he turned and looked to the "statue" of Shitakarahi. He knew better, of course. It wasn't a statue at all…it was his form completely restrained by that outpouring of power. And yet, as he looked to it, he sensed lingering power inside it. The humans that had made the pact with him couldn't have it broken so easily. Somehow…they were feeding him strength. Very, very slowly…but they were feeding him none the less…_

_Odd…considering the fact they weren't praying to him anymore…_

_He turned his head to the sky, hearing a voice. _

_ "__She's dead." He told them. "The demon was right…she was only half god. She was still half mortal. Her body couldn't withstand the full power of her soul coming through it." He paused, as if listening. "No, she didn't succeed. He's sealed away, but it won't last. He's made some sort of pact with the humans…likely without their knowledge. He's rebuilding his power. It will take generations…but he'll be out again. And then he'll regain it as fast as he did this time."_

_He kicked off of the ground and "reclined on air", bracing his staff over his lap._

_ "__So…what now?"_

_He continued to listen for a short while._

_After a bit…his eyes opened wide._

_ "__Oh…" He slowly exclaimed in realization. "So…_that's_ the reason you wanted her soul to be immortal…"_

* * *

_Three hundred years had passed. The long winter that came in the wake of the first hime's release of power had broken. Miraculously, as cold and hard as it was, the people survived it without one death. And among them was the younger sister of the hime who, after having her older sister buried, took over the role and maintained the dynastic line. The land slowly recovered from the horrendous heat and brutal winter. It seemed there was almost a "blessing" on the land to ensure it was so. The statue of Shitakarahi was buried in a profane place where none would ever see it…no one expecting that it wasn't his likeness but the individual himself._

_Water began to flow again, trees grew, cities rebuilt, and people married and were given in marriage and had children. Creatures were born, had children of their own, and then died. The land began to resume looking like its former self, and slowly the story of the queen and the fire demon passed into history to tradition to legend to folklore to finally "bed time" story. _

_And it was about that time that a strange girl was born to the nobility of that region. A girl who looked nothing like her parents. A girl with pale skin and white-blond hair. A girl who mysterious phenomenon surrounded, leading her to grow nervous and secluded. Her only companion was her little sister, born only a few years after her. But to her parents, she was an object of confusion and fear. Rumors always dogged and surrounded her._

_Yet it would be years before those fears would impact the eight-year-old child when she went out one evening into the garden that her family had planted. Civilization had grown…had gotten wiser and more "refined". The tribes had begun to condense and form greater kingdoms. The era of the shoguns was still a long way away, but homes were getting more elaborate and neater, and "pleasantries" such as this beautiful flower garden, enclosed by high walls, with a lovely stream going through it, were now in the realm of the wealthy._

_The girl, properly having her hands folded in her kimono, kept her head down as she walked the path…thinking about the strange power in her. Realizing that not everyone had it. Wondering why she woke up in an inch of snow sometimes…or why she was able to make flurries indoors for her sister's amazement…and why it made her parents so fearful and nervous… Was it really such a horrible thing? Was it really so terrible to have this ability? Why was it something to fear?_

_ "__Hello there."_

_The girl nearly leapt where she was…causing frost to form around her feet. She whirled around in shock…and saw a young man sitting on a rock. He was pale white, both his skin and his hair, and he had a jovial look about him. A staff was braced over one shoulder, and he seemed perfectly friendly and casual…but also not of this world. He had some sort of power in him that the girl could sense…_

_ "__What's your name?" He asked in a friendly manner._

_The girl didn't answer. She quivered all over instead. She trembled a bit before she drew herself up. She started to open her mouth…_

_He held up a hand to stop her. "Now, now…I'd appreciate it if you didn't call for help."_

_Then, to her shock, he began to levitate off of the stone. Her mouth opened and her eyes went wide. The young man, Jiro, merely snickered._

_ "__I'd hate to have to fly away and make you out to be a liar…Princess Eiko, was it?"_

_The girl, Eiko, blinked a few times. She seemed rather nervous, but then straightened herself up. She was trying her best to look like a "proper noble" it seemed, in spite of her age._

_ "…__Men aren't allowed in this garden. My father forbids it on pain of death."_

_ "__Then it's a good thing I'm a kami and not a man, isn't it?" Jiro answered with a shrug as he removed his staff from his shoulder, pointed it to the sky…and let out an icy flash of light. Eiko, stunned at this sudden move, recoiled for a moment, but only a moment. That was because, moments later, a gentle snow began to fall down around them. Her mouth hung open wide as she looked at it, watching it slowly fall around her._

_ "__That's…that's just like what I can do!" She exclaimed._

_ "__Told you." Jiro responded as he turned over in mid-air and crossed his arms to "lay" on his staff._

_Eiko looked at the snow fall. She reached out a hand and let it rest in her palm, as if not believing it was real. But when it landed, and she felt it tangible and frozen, she looked back up in amazement. She marveled at the snow for a bit longer, before she looked back to Jiro._

_ "__Wait…you can make it snow and get cold…and you're a kami…" She stated slowly, making a connection. "Does…does that mean I'm…I'm…"_

_ "__Well, not exactly." Jiro answered with a smile and a shrug. "You're someone more special than that. You've got an amazing power inside you."_

_Eiko looked a moment at that, but then frowned and slumped. "…It sure doesn't feel that amazing to me." She slowly answered. "My parents don't like it. It scares everyone who sees it except my sister… They want me to keep it a secret and hide it from everyone…to hold it in and never let it show."_

_ "__Well, it's true not everyone will understand something so amazing and special." Jiro answered as he hovered closer to her. "But believe me…you should never hold it in. It's part of who you are. It's marked within your very soul. If you deny it…you're denying yourself and who you truly are. And that's never healthy…or ends well for anyone. But don't worry." _

_He landed on the ground before her and smiled wider._

_ "__I'm here to teach you all about it, including how to control it and do all sorts of things with it."_

_The girl blinked, confused…but also a bit excited. "Really?"_

_The young man nodded. "Of course! You've got to learn how to use it sometime. Especially since you'll get even more power as you get older. But for right now…"_

_He looked around a bit, seeing that not only was snow gently falling, but an inch-high layer was already on the ground. He leaned over and scooped some up in one hand, and then began to form a ball with it._

_ "__There's only one thing to do, for starters."_

_Eiko, genuinely intrigued, blinked in response. "What's that?"_

_She gave a mild cry a moment later as a snowball pasted her in between the eyes._

_Jiro grinned. "Have some fun."_

_Eiko was shocked and stunned for a moment, and even looked a bit indignant. She was a princess, after all. The only one allowed to "rough-house" with her was her little sister. Everyone else had to treat her with dignity and respect and keep their distance. Especially since she was the eldest child. Yet as she shook the snow free from her eyes, and saw Jiro laughing at her and casually standing there, bo staff once again across one shoulder…a crafty smile appeared on her face. She held out both hands and immediately formed two more snowballs in them._

_ "__You'll pay for hitting a noblewoman." She grinned._

* * *

_The next few years were wonderful and light._

_Since Eiko didn't need any sleep, she could "be a princess" all day, and all night hang out with Jiro. He didn't keep her up the full night, but he worked with her. At first it was all fun and games. Various activities and tricks with snow and ice that seemed like they were just for fun, but really teaching her fine control with her powers and, more importantly, keeping her heart and soul light. Knowing that a kami was actually praising her and saying how wonderful her powers were, along with her sister, kept her insulated from the condemnation and fear of those around her…even her parents. She remained happy as she slowly grew into adulthood, increasing in intelligence, wisdom, and beauty, and peerless among all the women in the country. Always she looked forward to time with Jiro, especially after days that nearly got her down. But thanks to her always being "happy" and "light"…her soul remained "clear" and her power remained in her control. As she got old enough for more "serious" lessons, she took to them well, gaining more of a handle on the scope and ability of her power with a fine degree of control._

_Jiro had to admit…he enjoyed the time with her. He even enjoyed his time in the region. Until now, he had always just brought cold and frost and played games of mischief. Yet now that he found himself watching Eiko day after day, he needed to do _something_ to pass the time. So, taking advantage of the invisibility that the gods had given him to anyone except who he wished to reveal himself to…he went out and played with other kids like Eiko. It turned out, he rather enjoyed it. Giving them unexpected snow to romp in. Snowball fights. Running around on ice in slick getas. Building forts. Or just enjoying watching it fall. He had never thought much of humans until now save as a source of amusement…but he found himself gravitating to them._

_All the while, Eiko continued to grow in knowledge and power, and finally into womanhood. He continued to assist her even then. Yet as he did so…he frequently found himself staring at her. She was so beautiful…her mind and soul matching that beauty perfectly. She was seen by so many as being a woman out of place or too unusual or tomboyish…but to him she was magnificent. He realized she was truly closer to the ideal of a perfect woman…a woman beautiful not only in body but in mind. He found himself getting closer to her with their lessons, being extra tender when she faltered, speaking in softer voices…_

_Likewise, Eiko, as her own womanhood developed, found that Jiro was a rather attractive man in human form. She frequently blushed around him, or would nervously tuck her hair behind her ear, or would giggle almost like her younger sister on getting a compliment. So often she was far more in control, composed, and mature…but not around Jiro. She couldn't help but feel a different sort around him. _

_Without saying a word…without ever making it explicit…the two began to hold hands. They started to stare longingly into each other's eyes without saying a word. They started smiling just at the thought of one another. And both of their hearts began to resonate, seeming to surge when the other was near. As Eiko finally learned of her own heritage from Jiro, she realized, in spite of her "mortal half", there was no other man alive that she desired more than him. And the frost kami…in spite of the spirit he was only a short decade earlier…realized just how much he loved this half-mortal woman…_

_The night before it happened, they were back in the garden of her parents. Eiko, a beautiful young woman now in a splendid silk kimono, sat nestled against Jiro who kept his arms around her. Her own head rested against his chest. Snow gently fell around both of them…yet the sky remained clear to bathe them both in moonlight. They were so close as they looked to the sky. _

_ "…__So…tomorrow it is." Eiko slowly exhaled._

_Jiro didn't like interrupting the moment thinking of that, but he stayed calm. He nodded. "Yes."_

_The woman…now a hime…spoke further. "He'll gain enough power to break free. And this time…he'll be expecting me. Unlike with my last incarnation, won't he?"_

_ "__You're stronger and smarter too." Jiro answered confidently. "You have greater grasp of your powers. He won't stand a chance."_

_Eiko held a bit more, but then closed her eyes and smiled again._

_ "__Alright…I believe you, Jiro. If it's coming from you."_

_The frost kami held on a bit longer, continuing to look to the moon._

_ "…__Eiko?"_

_ "__Yes?"_

_He paused a moment. "…After this is done…after Shitakarahi is defeated…" He held again. He couldn't believe it. The merry frost spirit like him…terrified of this. In spite of his attempts, he felt cold and sweat a little. But he forced it down. He didn't want to ruin this._

_ "…__I want to be with you."_

_Eiko's eyes slowly opened. She turned her head to him, looking a bit surprised._

_ "…__But Jiro…I'm half mortal…"_

_ "__I don't care." He softly cut off. "I've been alive for thousands of years…but I don't think I ever truly felt that way before I met you."_

_The young woman looked back a bit longer. She definitely looked a bit perturbed. She obviously knew what this meant. And with her looking at him like that, the frost kami grew anxious. Had he overstepped his bounds? Should he have held his tongue? He nearly apologized right then and there…_

_ …__When her look turned to a soft smile._

_ "__Jiro…I honestly can't imagine my life without you. The only thing about what's coming that scared me is the thought that after the fire demon is gone…you'll leave me forever. But now that I know you'll still be here…there's nothing more that I want. I don't know how we can work it out…I know I have duties as a queen and that I'm expected to 'marry for political reasons'…but I don't care. Somehow we'll make it work. Even if I have to leave this land and become an outcast…I don't care so long as I'm with you."_

_The frost kami blinked. To be honest, until now, he had some doubt inside that Eiko didn't share his feelings. He feared, somewhere, that she was just putting him on or being frivolous like other humans. But seeing her look at him with her soft blue eyes, and that wonderful smile…he knew he had nothing to fear._

_After a moment, the two drew together and kissed…both eagerly awaiting the end of tomorrow._

* * *

_Right on schedule…it happened._

_Though buried beneath the ground, the statue had been gleaming for a while, growing red hot like lava. Jiro had sensed the horrendous sun try to reform multiple times…but it failed each time. The fact that Eiko even _existed_ was putting a check on Shitakarahi's power, keeping him from being able to manifest it to strengthen himself. And now that his seal was breaking, the frost kami was confident that it could be ended._

_They were in the profane country right now. Jiro was far at a distance. His "superiors" told him too. After all, even weakened, Shitakarahi was more than a match for him. Eiko, on the other hand, was dressed in her finest kimono and standing her ground at the edge of the blackened, forsaken land…which of late had been smoldering and burning. No one else was present for miles. No one else even knew what was about to happen. _

_Yet suddenly, the sky turned red. A small orb of fire began to appear in the sky and bathed the area in heat. As it did, cracks appeared in the ground. Light and fire began to leap forth from it…horrible, twisted, burning fire. It continued to swell and crack, belching far more heat along with bits of magma and lava…all while the demon sun over head drew in more heat and light. _

_Finally, the ground erupted…and he came forth. He was covered with fresh flame, back to his original size, and dripping horrendous heat and power from his profane fire. Eiko was nearly burned in his wake, but Jiro had taught her to wrap herself in cold, and so she was protected._

_Shitakarahi himself hissed and snorted for a moment, stretching his limbs and letting heat and fire pour off of them. He seemed to be "adjusting" after his imprisonment. Soon, he looked down to Eiko standing beneath him, and growled._

_"__You… Even your flesh looks like that of your former life…" He snarled. "You're the one who stole what was rightfully mine by pact 300 years earlier. And now it seems you're here to try and do so again."_

_Eiko's gaze narrowed. "I am. I may not remember my former life, but all of my feelings are those of hers. So I'll tell you the same thing she did. I'll give you one chance to remove this sun and begone forever bef-"_

_Abruptly, the woman was cut off…going pale as a spike of red-hot magma erupted out of the ground behind her, smashed through her spine, ripped through her heart, and erupted out of her chest in a mess of blood and burnt flesh and bone._

_Her face was aghast in shock…_

_…__and so was Jiro's. His heart seemed to freeze. The rest of the world seemed to stop as he looked at the only woman he ever loved…impaled so horrifically. Her very wound began to roast and burn before his eyes as her face remained locked in agony and horror._

_The demon's face grinned._

_"__You didn't really think I was going to be foolish enough to just 'sit here' and let you hit me like last time, did you, woman? I'm afraid the only one who's going away this time is _you._"_

_Jiro fell to his knees. His lip quivered at what he saw. He couldn't move. He couldn't react. He only watched as the fires continued to spread on Eiko, her limbs began to weaken…and her body began to slide down the spike. The life was leaving her quickly. Her soul fading…_

_When, suddenly, in spite of the pain, in spite of the fact she was dying…the woman used what was left of her strength to make her brow crease. Blood fountaining from her mouth, most of it burned, she slowly began to lift her arms…_

_Shitakarahi saw this, and scowled. "And just what do you think you're doing, little mortal?"_

_Eiko didn't answer. She merely stopped where she was a moment…let out a ragged gasp…then forced every last bit of her energy up to aim her hands up at Shitakarahi and force all of her life energy into another massive, freezing, icy beam of light._

_The demon, seeing this, lost his scowl and turned to aghast shock. "No…NO! Not aga-"_

_Before he could do any more, the beam struck him and once more threw him into the sky. Screaming in anguish all the way at having been stopped again, he was once more thrown into his still-growing orb and blasted into it. The icy power immediately flowed into it, making it shrink and cool rapidly again. The beam was much, much weaker this time. It didn't break forth a brutal winter with it. However…Shitakarahi was also much weaker too. His cry of anguish was swallowed up as his orb once again turned dark and cold, shrank around him, and sealed him once again in a twisted statue. The beam cut off a moment later…and he was again dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, once more over the profane country._

_The arms of Eiko went limp, and as the spike in her chest cooled…she went totally lifeless while hanging on it._

_Dead._

* * *

_The voices of the gods continued to call out to Jiro…but he didn't answer. He was told not to interfere, not even a little…but after an hour of standing apoplectic, looking at the body of the woman he had trained since she was a child…who had given him immeasurable joy with her smiling, laughter, and games…now a corpse suspended on that spike...he finally was able to get enough of his composure to pull her off, set her on the ground, close her eyes, and cover her wound. _

_But that was all he could do. She was gone._

_As the gods demanded a report from him…for, once again, Shitakarahi was sealed but not gone, already rebuilding his power once again…he didn't answer. He merely dropped to his knees next to the woman and stayed by her side until some of her servants, seeking her out, came and found their beloved queen dead._

* * *

_Time marched on yet again. The rest of the forests regrew until the land was unmistakable from how it once was. Everything was balanced and normal again. The story gradually faded from human tongues. It remained only among the yokai…and even then it passed into tradition and no longer history. The land that was once profane had any religion that declared it to be so dead and forgotten. The growing kingdom built over it, but eventually the land was taken by an emerging noble with great power. The land that Eiko's sister's family inherited was farther north, closer to the colder regions. And they held it for several generations…as various women came and went…various children were born and died…_

_Until at last, after 300 years, a girl with pale skin and white-blond hair was born, much to the unease of her family, but to the delight of her younger sister…especially when she showed the ability to make snow and frost._

_She looked stunningly like her ancestor, even at eight years old. Although a new garden had been made in the land where they had moved, she didn't wander in this one. Her family had a much larger house, and so her parents confined her there instead, not even wanting her to go out. It made her miserable. Much like her ancestor, she hated how only her younger sister seemed to like her power. Everyone else either feared it or she had to hide it from. Once again, she didn't know why. Why it had to be something everyone feared…or why she had it to begin with. It was so confusing…_

_As she sat there thinking, looking out the window at the clear, full moon shining bright…he heard a voice behind her._

_"__Lady Eiko…"_

_The child was so surprised that someone had spoken out to her from within her own separate bedroom, recently forced to move there and away from her younger sister…that she missed entirely the tone of the voice. How "breathless" it sounded…like someone who thought they had lost a loved one years ago was seeing them alive and well for the first time._

_Instead, she snapped around, and nearly cried out on seeing a young man with frost-lined clothes and a bo over his should looking back at her. For a moment, he looked awestruck to see her…but then he quickly calmed before the first sound of a noise could come out of her mouth._

_"__Wait! Don't yell! I'm not here to hurt you!"_

_Eiko hesitated in response to that. She wasn't sure why…but she did as she was told. It wasn't just the calm and innocent demeanor of this man. It also wasn't the fact that, as she looked on at him and his pale features, she began to realize he wasn't a man at all. Something…inside her seemed to resonate with him… She held for a moment, and then swallowed._

_"…__You're not supposed to be in here. Any man who breaks into this wing of the castle at this time of night is doomed to die."_

_Jiro held a moment, but then exhaled. He let out a small chuckle as he eased up a bit._

_"__Well…like I said before, it's a good thing I'm not a man, but a kami."_

_Eiko's eyes widened. "You…you're a kami?" She blinked after saying that. "Wait…what do you mean you said it before? You didn't say that before…"_

_Jiro hesitated a moment, but then shook his head. "Um…nevermind that for right now. Anyway…the point is, I'm here to teach you to control your power."_

_The little girl forgot her question and looked up at that. "What…really?"_

_"__Your power is very important, Eiko." Jiro answered. "It's going to make a big difference in the lives of a lot of people. I'm here to make sure you can use it to the best of your ability."_

_Eiko hesitated a moment, but then slumped a bit. "…My parents say I should hide it. That people will just hate me and fear me if I let it out. They don't even like me using it around my little sister…"_

_"__Well, you don't have to show it to _everyone_…but make no mistake, Eiko." Jiro went on. "Your power is as special as you are. You're going to get older and stronger using it, and it will do things you never dreamed of. But…"_

_His gaze turned a bit firmer here._

_"__Before we get too far in all of what you can do…I want to start teaching you how to defend yourself with it…"_

* * *

_The first two months were not nearly as "happy" as the former ones. Whereas before they had been filled with fun and games, Jiro found himself swiftly turning into a rather harsh instructor. Rather than a few hours a day, he kept Eiko up all night, every night, drilling her on combat. He had never exclusively focused on that before, but now he not only did so…he put her through the wringer. He made her dodge projectiles from him fired in bursts, continuous surprise attacks, force attacks that would have broken a bone normally…and, most of all, making blunted spikes of ice shoot out from behind her and for her backside._

_It wasn't long before Eiko was not only sore and tired all the time, but also unhappy. She didn't like how Jiro continuously yelled at her to get up and do better every time she failed, or, when she succeeded, raising the bar sharply. She didn't like how his tone turned progressively more rough when she didn't perform. And she definitely didn't like him continuously trying to hit her from surprise angles, and often succeeding and ending up hurting her. Her father and mother were beginning to ask where she got bruises during the night, and were starting to suspect something was up. She was too tired to play with her little sister either. But worst of all…she was scared of every session she would have with Jiro. They always ended up in pain. They always had him yelling at her. It scared her…as fierce as he got sometimes…as much as his eyes burned at her…_

_Now was one of those moments._

_They were currently facing each other in one of the open rooms of the castle, not being used at this time of night. It was wide and enclosed, providing a good "training ground". At the moment, the frost kami was standing to one side, hovering in mid-air, staff out, and eight-year-old Eiko was nervously at the other, expecting more pain._

_Abruptly, Jiro formed a rather powerful ice ball and flung it at her head. She quickly dodged to one side to avoid it, barely missing it. However, Jiro's teeth clenched at her doing that, and he immediately made two more…firing them at her much faster. She soon cried out as one hit her in the stomach and the other the head. They weren't enough to seriously injure, but they knocked her back to the floor._

_"__No!" Jiro shouted at her, his voice growing angry by now. "I've told you! Don't dodge! Use your shields!"_

_Eiko slowly began to peel herself up. "I can't! You're going too fast for me! I haven't mastered them yet!"_

_"__Learn to think quicker!" The frost kami shouted as he swung his staff at her while she was still rising, sending a shower of blunted ice shards at her. Eiko, still recovering, gasped at the sight, and quickly spread her hand out. In response, a shield of ice suddenly sprung out of the ground in front of her…but Jiro merely flew into the air and sent out another storm after her. She nearly cried out as she threw up another shield, but went running back as she did so, nearly stumbling. One of the shards struck her shield off center, making her nearly fall. _

_Growing angrily, Jiro shot after her and kept firing. "Keep your head together! Block me!"_

_"__You're too fast!" Eiko shouted back as she tried to get away, only for Jiro to keep pummeling her with ice balls from overhead, chasing after her. She soon gave up on ice shields and went to try and dodge. "I'm tired! We've been doing this for five hours!"_

_"__Stop whining!" The frost kami yelled as he intensified his attack. "You think your opponent is going to go easy on you? You think they'll hesitate to kill you? They'll attack again and again until you're dead!"_

_"__What opponent?" Eiko whined back as she turned and broke into a run away from him. "Can't we do something else?"_

_"__NO!" Jiro shouted as he made an ice wall pop up in front of Eiko, stopping her in her tracks. A moment later, he struck her with another shower of icicles, making her wince and cry out. "You learn to defend yourself or nothing else matters! Suck it up!"_

_Eiko, however, after getting this latest pummeling…the shards hitting her enough to scratch and bruise…grit her teeth and looked up defiantly at him._

_And as she did…the wind around her picked up and snow began to form._

_"__I'm tired of this and I'm tired of you!" She shouted. "All you do is hit me with ice all night! You said you'd help me control my power! But all you do is yell at me and hit me! My power is getting more out of control! I'm leaving ice in my room! I'm making my sister cold when I'm around her! I'm freezing my food before I bite into it! I'm getting _less_ control!"_

_"__I don't give a damn!" Jiro shouted as he swung his staff down and began to blast her with even more ice than before, causing her to recoil and wrap her arms around her face and eyes. As his look turned almost wild, the shards grew sharper…enough to hurt her if they poked her in the eye…_

_"__I don't care what you do with your family or how many things you ice over or how much you whine or how much you complain! I am going to drill you as many times as it takes and as long as it takes for you to learn this! I am _not_ going to watch you go out unprepared again! You _will_ learn to defend yourself from _anything_ if it kills me!"_

_He continued to batter her…the ice getting sharper and deadlier. His own soul was in flux, and it was causing his power to warp. His own body was surrounded by an icy chill that began to spread frost into the room. He didn't know it…but if any normal human was in this chamber now, they'd be in danger of freezing to death… Yet he only pushed more, hitting Eiko again and again…seeing that look on her face…seeing that spike in her chest…seeing her breathing her last…and feeling tears in his own eyes come as he did so…_

_Unfortunately, Eiko finally had enough…when one of the shards went by, ripping her kimono, and drawing a few drops of blood underneath._

_At that, she suddenly looked up, her face tight with fear and anger, and shouted._

"You're hurting me!"

_The voice was so loud and powerful that it resonated through the chamber…and as it did streams of icy blue energy erupted from Eiko's body in all directions, leaving ice everywhere they landed…and one of them striking Jiro in the chest._

_The frost kami actually gagged as he felt what seemed like an icy knife stab him in the heart. Instantly, he dropped like a stone to the ground, ending his attack and any cold generation he was doing. On landing there, he stiffened and writhed, his face clearly in pain from the attack._

_But Eiko, her own eyes filling with tears now from all the pain and fear, sniffled and wiped for her nose. Her face was filled with more fear now at what she had just done. She saw she had clearly hurt Jiro…but she was too upset to focus on that. Sniffling more and starting to cry, she turned and ran for the doors to the room. On reaching them, they rapidly iced over from being close to her, but she soon pushed on them anyway and broke them open before it got too bad, running out._

_As for Jiro, he slowly recovered…but lay on the floor anyway. His own look of hurt was gone. Instead…what he had just heard rang through his head…what Eiko had screamed at him…_

_What was he doing? He was making everything worse. Eiko's soul was completely out of flux. At this rate, she'd freeze the whole country and kill everyone in it long before Shitakarahi appeared. And he was the cause. He was pushing her harder and harder because his own soul was in flux…terrified…rippled with fear… He was lucky that she was fighting him just now. If that blast had hit a mortal in the heart…_

_Yet the worst part was what she said…_

_The last thing he ever wanted to do was that…and here he was, doing it out of fear._

* * *

_An hour later, and Eiko was still awake. She was in her room, door pulled, and hunched against it…crying and sobbing. A small amount of frost and ice surrounded her from cast-off power, but she didn't care. She only continued to sob softly._

_After a while…she heard a figure approach. It was still late at night. Everyone else was asleep. As the figure came to a stop outside the door, she knew who it had to be._

_Soon, his voice came in._

_"__Eiko…"_

_"__Leave me alone!" She called back. "Go away before you wake someone up and get me in trouble!"_

_A pause, but then he spoke again, softly. "Eiko…I'm sorry…I'm really sorry… I was scared. I'm so scared of you getting hurt…or dying… And it led me to do things that hurt you too. I'm really sorry for that. You're right…I'm doing this all wrong." A pause. "…Can we try again?"_

_"__No!" The girl protested._

_"__I promise we'll do fun things now. Come on…please?"_

_"__I don't believe you!"_

_Eiko kept her head down and sniffled. She didn't say another word, but neither did Jiro. However, he didn't leave either. So she just sat there and waited._

_A moment later…it began to gently snow around her. She didn't pay it any mind. She didn't even bother looking at the falling flakes._

_Soon after…frost began to form on the ground in front of her. She looked up to this, as it became a large white patch. Soon after, it began to "etch", as if an invisible finger was writing on it. Slowly, it made a picture of what looked like a little girl princess in a kimono, standing outside on a sunny day. It was made very much in "kid style", but the girl was smiling and had her hair. Then, a moment later, to her surprise, the drawing began to "move" on the ice, walking forward and through a field full of flowers and birds._

_In spite of being upset, Eiko felt the corners of her mouth begin to turn a bit at this. However, she forced them down, huffed, and kept holding._

_The drawing slowly came to a field that had little rabbits on it, and the girl began to play with them and pet them. She did so for a moment…before the rabbits slowly "expanded" out of the drawing. Snow formed in mid-air and gathered around their etchings, slowly building them as they came out…until bunnies made of snow and ice had come out. Once there, they immediately started to sniffle the ground and then hop forward and around Eiko like real rabbits._

_Again, the smile began to form. Her eyes brightened a bit. Still, she held on._

_"__I'm still mad at you…"_

_The bunnies came in close and began to sniff her. Although they had whiskers of ice, they tickled, and soon she was giggling as they sniffed. Suddenly, one leapt up and into her lap, making her lean back. As she did, the rabbit's ears fell back, it put its paws together, and it made small pleading motions. Its eyes seemed to enlarge as that happened._

_Unable to take anymore, Eiko began to giggle audibly. And when that happened, it wasn't long before she burst out into more chuckles and finally laughs. Soon, all of the rabbits began to do the same, and that only made her laugh louder._

_She continued to do so for a while, but finally she eased up. When she did, she was smiling and much calmer. She slowly turned and looked to the door behind her. She could see the shadow of Jiro on the other side. She held a bit…but then finally got up. As the snow bunnies crumpled into powder and blew away, she reached over, grabbed the handle, and opened it a crack._

_Jiro's hopeful face was looking in._

_"…__One condition." The girl stated. "Show me how to do that before anything else."_

* * *

_The next few years were far happier after that. Jiro didn't push her that way again, although he did focus more on combat after taking a "year off". He focused on fun and using her power in beautiful and fantastic ways, and managed to still her soul again before long. Her power was once again under her control, and she grew up happier, and soon she started to look at Jiro with the same amount of trust and admiration she had in her past life. He told himself that this was risky…that he had to focus on teaching her more how to defend herself. And as she aged, he did indeed focus more on that. He got rough again at points too. But the bottom line was he wanted to keep her spirit still and serene…and he didn't want her to hate him. He didn't want to risk losing her again like he nearly did._

_He also realized he didn't like seeing_ any_ children in pain and suffering. And therefore, when he went out these times during "breaks", enjoying playing with the kids once more…he made a special target of those with abusive parents, the orphaned, the neglected, and the unhappy. He didn't like seeing them miserable. It reminded him of how miserable Eiko had been…that look on her face… So he not only enjoyed being with them again, but he made it a point of showing them "fun". Making them forget their worries and troubles and enjoying the good parts of life and childhood…_

_Other than that, history repeated itself all too well._

_He knew all along he loved Eiko, and as she grew each day to resemble his old love, he felt his attraction only grow. There were times he would look at her with just a lovestruck smile…and tears in his eyes. Seeing her do things "for the first time" she did in her past life…it made his heart ache a bit. And likewise…it was just the same as it was with him. Eiko, as she came of age, looked to him with blushes, leaned in closer to him, spent more time just staring at him…until, once again, their unspoken love became undeniable._

_It was painful to Jiro…even scary…and yet he didn't say no. He didn't push her away. Because as much as it reminded him of pain…he wanted this. He wanted to be close to her again._

_And at last, after the years had passed…the night before came again._

* * *

_Jiro tried his best to be calm as he kept his arms around Eiko, almost leaning his head on her shoulder as he looked out the window with her at that moon…big and beautiful again. Yet this wasn't like the other nights where he held her close. She could tell he was scared. Everything about him showed it. He told himself again and again that he had taught her well…that she was stronger and wiser this time… He couldn't catch her off guard anymore with his own power. Neither would Shitakarahi. It would be different…_

_Wouldn't it?_

_ "__Jiro?"_

_He nearly snapped when she spoke, looking to her. Her eyes were filled with concern._

_ "__What's wrong?"_

_He stared back silently. He had told her about what she needed to do and why, but he never told her what happened last time. How could he? It would only scare her to know that her ancestor had done this and died in the process…_

_ "__I'm…just nervous about tomorrow, I guess."_

_Eiko stared a bit longer, and then looked down as well. "…I am too, to be honest. I know what will happen if I fail. What will become of my people…my kingdom…"_

_Jiro looked up a bit at that…and couldn't help but smile._

_ "…_That's_ all you're scared of?" He asked her. "Eiko…you're wonderful. You always only think of others…"_

_She looked back up and to him…and softly smiled. Soon after, she leaned forward. In response, he closed his eyes, and soon their lips met. They shared a kiss for a few moments, and then parted again._

_ "__Don't worry." She reassured. "Tomorrow he'll be gone…and we'll have the rest of our lives together free from fear. Think of that."_

_Jiro stared back silently for a time…struggling to keep his smile so he wouldn't upset her._

_ "…__I'll try."_

* * *

_It was more valiant this time, for certain. Definitely more drawn out. Harder for those in the surrounding lands not to see the sparks of fire and ice going up into the air and the clouds of steam that resulted. Harder to miss the red sky and sun and the demonic bellows. _

_Yet after a pitched fifteen minute battle…a statue of Shitakarahi, frozen in his latest moment of rage and anguish, his lips still bellowing how he could have been beaten by this half-mortal yet again, fell to the ground._

_ …__Joined moments later by a woman covered with third degree burns and still smoldering._

_Dead._

_And less than a minute after that, a frost kami clutched the burned body to his chest and cried loud and long into the night._

* * *

_And so it went again and again for the next few thousand years._

_It was odd how history repeated itself so well. Always they would find her dead body. Always she would have a younger sister who would take the throne and continue the dynasty. Always time would pass and Shitakarahi would revive…but not before Eiko was reborn. Always she would be the outcast, shunned by all, including her parents, save for her sister. Always Jiro would be sent by the gods to her while she was young, to prepare her for what was coming. He would always befriend her, becoming her favorite teacher and playmate (outside of her younger sister). She would always grow up full of beauty, knowledge, and power. The admiration and respect she had when she was younger for Jiro would always blossom into love. Always they would share a few months together toward the end when their feelings became known to one another…always they would pledge themselves to each other the night before…_

_And, always, she would die sealing the demon._

_Jiro tried everything over time. He tried focusing on combat, teaching her to avoid the mistakes she made last time. But Shitakarahi learned and remembered too. After all…he had hundreds of years to think of what to do next time too. He tried distancing himself from her, not getting attached…but it was hopeless. Trying to be away from her was even more painful than each 300 year wait. Besides…it hurt her too. She didn't have the memory of her past lives, but all of the feelings were in her soul. Rejecting her only caused the woman pain. And even if such wasn't disastrous to her power…he couldn't bear to cause her pain or grief. Each life only increased his love for her…_

_And made it all the more painful to watch her die again…and again…and again…_

_The last time had been the most painful. She had won…had gotten off the final attack before Shitakarahi could respond. She was freezing him…sealing him away… Jiro felt his heart surge. This was it. This was the chance to be rid of him forever...and he and Eiko could be together afterward..._

_And then…the demon fired off one last beam of heat at her body before turning rigid…_

_It didn't even hit a vital right away. But it was so hot…it had to have cooked her insides…_

_He hunched over her body, using that technique he learned over the years from the human apothecaries to try and pump her heart…trying to get her to recover…trying to get her to rise… It was raining this time. It poured down and soaked both of them…his tear-streaked face…her broken, smoldering body…_

_He continued to pound on her chest almost frantically…_

_ "__No…not this time…not this time! Just this once! Please…just this once! LIVE!"_

_His echoes fell on deaf ears…sinking into the rain…and still Eiko's body lay there lifeless._

* * *

_This was far from Arender-ken…more in his "element". On top of Mt. Fuji, covered with snow and ice. The sky was still storming from the rain…at least, below him it was. The sky where he stood was empty and clear…a brilliant, starry sky…with the moon beaming overhead. It was isolated up here. No one was around for miles and miles…save for the frost kami standing on top of it, perched on a loose boulder that had once been a "lava bomb" and was now covered with snow. He looked up into the sky, knowing voices heard him…and hearing them in turn. Nothing that any mortal could see or hear, but he did clearly._

_His normally "happy" face was gone. His body was slumped. His look dour. His eyes void of warmth and life._

_ "…__I'm not doing this anymore."_

_He heard more than one voice not accepting that. _

_ "__No." He answered. "I can't do this anymore. I can't take it." He paused…but then his face tightened. "It's not fair! She's suffered for all of those worthless men and women who made that pact! Hasn't she done enough?! Intervene! One of you! Let her win! Let this suffering stop and put that monster away forever!"_

_Calm voices answered him…void of emotion…void of pity…simply stating things as they were. However, they spoke for a long time. And as Jiro listened to them…his anger was replaced by shock._

_ "__What…are you saying?"_

_More voices came to him. His face turned to fury again at what he heard._

_ "__So that's what this is all about?! You're stopping that demon and sentencing her to this hell?! You _mean_ for this to keep happening?! For your answer to her "prayer" to be the same thing condemning her for eternity?! What kind of twisted 'balance' is this?!"_

_The voices remained calm and slowly answered. However, they only infuriated Jiro more. His yells echoed all over the mountaintop._

_ "__No! No more riddles! No more waiting! No more of this 'humanity must break the pact' crap! If you don't even know what's going on here, I'm not going to let this happen anymore! She's an innocent woman! She doesn't deserve this! She doesn't deserve to die again and again! I don't care if 'she took it'! I don't even care that I helped her choose it! It has to end! It has to stop!"_

_Again, the voices were calm. Jiro's anger slowly abated…but he continued to clench his hands into fists. He could hear the wood of his staff groaning. He glared hard at the sky._

_ "…__Fine. If none of you will help, I'll do it myself."_

_He turned to fly off…only to hear the voices again. This time…they were emotional. Strong…fierce…even a bit angry. However, Jiro merely snapped his head back to the heavens._

_ "__To hell with that and to hell with you!" He retorted. "This is why they rejected you all in the first place! You see the innocent suffer and the guilty prosper and then you just nod like a bunch of doddering old judges! You all make me sick! I'm stopping this!"_

_The voices blasted louder than before. This time…they were accusing. Biting. Telling him what this was really about…about his love for a half-mortal. And hearing that cut Jiro to the quick. It made him pause. It made his head bow as they related all that they had seen him do. All of the incarnations of Eiko he had romanced and loved. Yet in the end, he grit his teeth and spat back._

_ "__So what? So I learned to love someone! That's more than I can say for any of you!"_

_One voice answered…and it said something that, in spite of his anger, made Jiro fearful._

You'll ruin her, her people, this world…and yourself.

_It made him hesitate. He stood there…and for a moment nearly reconsidered. Yet in the end, he refused. He couldn't live any longer like this. He couldn't sit here waiting for another 300 years to see her, to be so close to her, and then watch her die painfully and miserably again…_

_Without a word…he went down the mountain._

* * *

_In three hundred years, it seemed as if Jiro had forgotten about that night. He went back to being his jovial, merry self. He went back to playing pranks and entertaining children in despair. He smiled, flew about, reveled in his power, made winter "fun"…everything that one expected of him normally. The death seemed to fade from his mind. His care about what had happened appeared to fade. He didn't give the slightest indication he thought of Eiko as the next three hundred years passed._

_When they came around again, the land was now under the shoguns. The land was called Arender-ken, and the current castle was under construction. Eiko was born in a smaller palace that was overseeing the massive pagoda being built out on the coast, with stone bridges spanning to lead in and out of it, making it unassailable under normal conditions. It only had one floor for now, but it would be spectacular one day._

_Just as before, they met, they laughed, they played, and the years passed with them at each other's side. As always, Jiro taught Eiko to embrace her power and keep her soul calm in spite of the fear and anxiety of those around her. As always, she grew up lovely and beautiful and wise and intelligent. And again…their love for each other grew…always more beautiful the next time than the one before._

_Again, Eiko knew of her responsibility…the reason for her power…but nothing of her past identities. Only that she needed to stop Shitakarahi. And so, right down to the day before, she suppressed her fear and readied herself, confident she would win…confident she could save her people…confident that a life with Jiro awaited after tomorrow…never expecting the inevitable would happen again._

_The only thing that was different was that night._

* * *

_ "__What…what are you saying…?"_

_Jiro only held Eiko's hands more fiercely, looking into her eyes more desperately._

_ "__Right now, Eiko. Let's leave." He told her. "This world is huge. There's plenty of places we could go. With your power, you could make any place cool or cold. We could make a paradise just for the two of us…"_

_Eiko, however, only looked uneasy as she tried to pull her hands away. "Jiro…this…this is odd… I've never seen you like this before…"_

_ "__Eiko, please. Let's just do it." He offered a weak smile. "Come on! It would be spontaneous! Crazy! Fun!"_

_The desperation in his voice belayed his true feelings, and made Eiko more uncomfortable as she removed her hands from him. "…I'll be happy to do something like that after tomorrow, Jiro…"_

_ "__No! Not tomorrow! Now!" He shouted, his face going desperate. "Don't wait for tomorrow! Tomorrow may never get here! We have to go right now!"_

_Eiko looked uneasy, definitely not liking this outburst…but turned firm a moment later. "Jiro…no. I have a responsibility here. The people of Arender-ken…of Japan…they need me to defeat Shitakarahi. If I don't this place will turn into a living hell. Once I've stopped him tomorrow we can do whatever-"_

_ "__NO!" Jiro cut off…finally losing himself. "Don't say that! You say that _every_ time! And you always…always…"_

_He trailed off…but it was too late. Eiko heard this…and her own stern look vanished. Her eyes widened at what he just said. The frost kami continued to pant and seethe for a moment…before he swallowed and eased._

_ "…__Always what, Jiro?" She asked after a time._

_The young man didn't answer. He bowed his head and looked away. His hands uncomfortably grasped his staff._

_Eiko blinked once…before her own arms fell._

_ "…__Always die." She quietly finished. "…It makes sense, now that I think of it. Why else does Shitakarahi always come back… Why else have so many of my ancestors had to do this…"_

_Jiro's look turned somber. His eyes filled with sadness as he looked to the ground._

_Eiko held a bit longer, and then looked up. "…Maybe this time will be different. No…this time _will_ be different. You've taught me well. You-"_

_A sigh from Jiro cut her off. "It won't, Eiko. I've told myself that again and again…and it's always exactly the same. That's what the gods want. That's what they insist repeat itself until the 'pact is broken'…whatever that means. It's going to happen the same way it always happens… You always die…and you always use the last of your strength to seal him away first…and I always get left crying over your body…" He exhaled, and shook his head. "I…I really can't take it anymore, Eiko… I can't stand it. I can't have my heart ripped out once every three hundred years and then wait nearly three centuries for it to come back only to get ripped out again thirteen years later…"_

_He looked up to her, his eyes forming tears._

_ "__Please…please…just leave with me. If you don't fight him…it won't happen…"_

_Eiko looked back at him. Her own stare was fearful. Her own look tense and anxious. And somewhere in there…a part of her wanted to take him up on that. Wanted to leave with him. He could tell._

_Yet in the end, she swallowed…and shook her head._

_ "…__I can't, Jiro. I just can't…"_

_His face began to tense. "Eiko…"_

_ "__Jiro." She cut off, putting her hands up. It caused him to pause, although he looked to her longingly. She slowly exhaled and inhaled._

_Then…she took a step backward…away from him._

_Shock began to fill Jiro's eyes. "No…no, Eiko…"_

_ "__My people will die, Jiro. This land will die. _Everything_ will die. I have to go. But…"_

_Tears began to fill her own eyes._

_ "…__I can't stand to see you get hurt anymore. If it's true…if it's what's been going on for so long…" She swallowed. "…Then leave me. Leave me now. Go away from here."_

_Jiro began to shake all over._

_ "__No…no, you can't…"_

_ "__I've made up my mind, Jiro…but if I'm doomed to die…I don't want to know you're in pain. Go. Get away from me."_

_This only made him more incensed. "Don't say that! Just stop this, Eiko! Just leave it be! Don't play out this stupid 'play' any longer! Leaving you isn't going to help anything! I'll know what happened! And I can't let you anymore! You can't expect me to sit here and watch you die forever!"_

_"__You _have_ to!" Eiko shot back. "It's never going to change! My ancestor brought this on me! I can feel it in my soul! But if I can help my people…if I can keep this demon from having his way…I'm going to! Forever, if I have to! So you have to leave, Jiro! Don't let this hurt you anymore! I don't remember our past lives, but I know you do! And I won't make it worse! Leave me!"_

_ "__No, Eiko!" The frost kami shouted, moving in on her. "Don't do this to me! I love-"_

_He froze._

_Abruptly, Eiko waved her hand…and a wall of ice spikes blossomed around her, pointing out in all directions…blocking Jiro from coming any closer._

_The woman's eyes were filled with tears…but her hand was aimed at him._

_ "__Just…just walk away, Jiro… Please…I beg you… You have so many of my deaths on you already…don't see any more… Please…"_

_The frost kami didn't move. He stared at Eiko…his own cheeks being stained with tears. The two stared fully at each other…realizing the full truth. Their timeless love that had lasted thousands of years…could never be. They were sentenced to this grim fate forever. To go through this 'play' again and again for the rest of time…to never be together…to always feel even more and more pain for their love for each other…unable to take it anymore…_

_Finally, Jiro, closing his own eyes, clenched his staff, turned away, and took off into the sky. In spite of her own tears, Eiko couldn't stop watching him as he flew up and off into the night._

* * *

_Eiko was already burned in four places. Her strength was fading. Her hands were quivering. Yet her face had lost none of its determination. She knew, unlike her ancestors, that the fate of this battle had been predetermined. She knew she was doomed to die. But she refused to spend her last breath until she sealed Shitakarahi away yet again. She struggled to focus on that now…to not think of Jiro…to not think of pain…to not think of anything but the future she had to secure for everyone…for her people…for her sister…_

_The hideous flaming monstrosity reveled in front of her, melting the ground around him, belching ash and smoke into the air, rippling with horrible heat. Parts of his body were "dimmer" than others…the only indication that he had taken any damage at all. But his burning eyes continued to glare ravenously at Eiko as the horrible sun overhead continued to blaze and grow larger. He snarled as he started to step forward. His terrible rat claws flashed as he grit his horrendous teeth._

_ "__You don't even have anything new this time, woman…" He hissed. "I already know exactly how this is going to end…and you, poor fool, know nothing. You know nothing of how many times I have gone through this. No matter how much you struggle…no matter how much you rage…you will _always_ be weaker. That's your fate…just as it's my fate to kill you. And eventually you'll fail for good…and I'll triumph. And then my will shall be done."_

_A rumble went at Eiko's feet. She knew what that meant…lava spikes from the ground. Quickly, she snapped her hand down and spread out ice over them…freezing the spikes as they erupted, turning them into "nubs" of rock moments before they could come out at her. However, she heard a sound over that of the crinkling of ice stopping them…another rumble behind her. Quickly, she spun to one way…and screamed in pain as a lava spike came out and ripped through the flesh of one of her arms, burning and injuring her as it did so. Still…it was better than what nearly happened…her getting impaled through the back by it._

_However, the demon grinned at this, and opened its mouth…sending out what seemed almost like a ray of fire at her. Many years in the future, scientists would recognize it as plasma…but to her it was merely heat energy, pure and simple, burning and bright. She reacted in shock, seeing it was meant to catch her off guard. Quickly, she brought up her good arm and generated a wave of cold to protect her…and was immediately ripped off of her feet, launched backward, and slammed into a boulder so hard that she felt her lower ribs break. She cried out in agony…but kept her arm aimed in front of her. She grit her teeth, bit through the pain, and generated just enough cold to protect her._

_Shitakarahi merely grinned in response as he continued to pour out more energy into her…washing her entire body in intense heat and flame. The rest of the world around her melted…the air began to ionize…and aside from where she lay against the boulder, the rest of it disintegrated. She held on none the less…but slowly the heat crept in around her. For all of her pushing and strength, it grew warmer and warmer around her. Soon it gave way to heat as she started to sweat. Her clothing began to smolder. Her old burns started to agitate. Her hair began to twist…_

_The demon grinned maliciously, thinking perhaps now would finally be the time…_

_ "__Let her go!"_

_Then, suddenly, he snapped his head to the side…and saw something new, to his surprise. A frost kami…diving at him from out of the sky, aiming his staff at him…and firing off a beam of icy blue energy right at his face._

_The beam smacked a moment later…and caused the demon to hiss in anger…but more irritation than pain. He cut off his own beam…letting Eiko, half burned again, fall to the ground. She panted hard, weak and drained…but somehow used her one good limb to push herself up, to look up and to the source. To her shock…Jiro was flying straight at Shitakarahi, face tight with anger, blasting him for all he was worth with his staff. Yet for all of his power…the monster was only annoyed. He winced under the power of the beam as he flew at him…but nothing else. He merely snarled. Eiko knew why. She experienced it firsthand. His power…even weakened as he was…it was so strong compared to the young man..._

_Face tightening with fear, she forced her weak and wobbly legs underneath her and started to push up. "No…Jiro…run away…!"_

_The frost kami didn't listen. He only prayed that he was making a difference…that maybe his little bit of power might actually tip the scales…let her win for once…end this nightmare…_

_Then, to his shock, as he was still diving down…Shitakarahi was suddenly outside of the path of his beam…and right at his side, grinning at him evilly. The frost kami was stunned. He looked up in horror, not able to believe he had moved so fast…_

_Then…he felt pain radiate through him as a clawed fist swung around and smashed into the small of his back. He felt his own spine crack as the flaming fist pounded into him…setting his clothes on fire and immediately putting a huge fist-shaped third degree burn along his backside. At once…his power was knocked out of him. His body went limp, twisting into a broken, lifeless doll around the power of the blow. His hands opened…letting his staff fall out and to the ground. And once away from his coldness…it instantly burst into flame and burned away._

_He began to fall…but he didn't have the chance. Immediately, the massive fist wrapped around his body…and began to pump heat into him. He writhed and cried out as he felt his own flesh burning. Not only his skin…but the heat going inside him… A non-kami would have been dead by now as the heat threatened to melt him away…_

_Eiko, by now, was on her feet again, and aiming her hand upward…only to gasp in shock. Shitakarahi had Jiro in his massive flaming hand. He was glaring at him in rage, lava dripping from his teeth._

_ "__What have we here?" He snarled. "A weak little boy who got lost? Trying to protect your 'mommy', tiny snowflake?"_

_The queen, however…realized something horrible. She had been ready to blast Shitakarahi while he was exposed and off guard…seal him away with her blast of ice energy…only to freeze. This attack was so potent that it could kill even those who were immune to cold. It had force on it and not just temperature, after all. And now…she realized that Shitakarahi had Jiro. There was no way she could hit him with everything and not hit the frost kami as well. Her heart began to pound as her eyes filled with horror. Suddenly, she cried out instead of shooting._

_ "__Let him go!"_

_The demon actually reacted…looking surprised. He turned his head down…and saw Eiko with her hand aimed at him. Immediately, he scowled._

_ "__You're the most foolish one yet, stupid woman! Look at you standing there stupidly shouting at me! You had your first chance in all of your miserable lives to strike me when I was off guard, and what do you do? You shout out your position! How foolish can you be? Why in the world would you-"_

_He suddenly cut himself off. In spite of his eyes being red coals, he paused. He looked to Jiro, then back to her, then to him again._

_Slowly…a smile appeared across his face…evil and wicked as Eiko began to tremble._

_ "…__I'm such a fool. I understand now. Why, in spite of me killing you again and again, you always know what my last moves were… Why this little snowflake is always watching from the side… It's all so clear now…"_

_He glared at her, grinning from ear to ear._

_ "__You love this weakling, don't you? You care for him deeply…and he obviously cares for you too… That love you have for each other…so pure…so full of darkness and misery when broken…when torn…"_

_Eiko was shaking all over now. It was pointless to deny it. To even lower her hand. She couldn't. It would make things even more obvious. As for Jiro, he weakly cracked his eyes open as his body continued to burn. Finally, Shitakarahi swung his fist forward…and held Jiro's limp body in front of him like a shield._

_ "__Lower your hand now, woman…or I'll burn him into nothingness."_

_Eiko's face paled. She gasped at what she heard._

_ "__He's not like you, woman. His soul isn't immortal." The demon went on. "He dies…it's for good. And you'll never see him again. After all…_you_ can't die. You'll be separated for all time…"_

_ "__Shoot…him…" Jiro croaked. "Eiko…kill him now…finish him…"_

_Eiko's eyes shimmered as she looked back. "I…I can't… I'll kill you…"_

_ "__He'll kill me…and you anyway…" He groaned. "Please…"_

_ "__I'm not going to wait but a moment longer…" The demon hissed._

_The queen hesitated. She looked to Jiro. His eyes pled with her…but she couldn't stand it. The reason she sent him away was to help him…to spare him pain. But to ask her to move now…to be the source not only of his pain but his death… She couldn't possibly do that. She didn't want him to die…but she couldn't stand to be the one who caused it either. She bit down and held, her hand shaking…her body quivering…_

_And finally, to the tune of tears rolling out of her eyes, lowered her hand._

_Shitakarahi laughed so resounding that his voice carried for the entire country. "I can't believe it was so easy! After all these years, I've wasted my time trying to deal with you! All I needed to do was cause your worthless weak heart to pine for something else and threaten that! That's what makes all of you creatures so sickeningly weak…your foolish, pathetic hearts… Anyway…I suppose this is your end, woman…and my ascension."_

_He raised his own claw, the tip of one of the talons beginning to glow. Eiko could only stay there trembling, face filled with sadness and anxiety. Jiro, seeing what was about to happen, weakly looked up._

_ "__Eiko…shoot…"_

_The woman wouldn't move. She continued to tremble and cry. "I can't…I can't kill you…"_

_ "__You have to…"_

_ "__To think this is how our struggle would end…almost pathetic…" The demon sneered as the beam glowed brighter._

_Desperate…Jiro did the only thing he could. With all of his remaining strength and air, he shouted at the top of his lungs._

_ "__Think of your people! Your sister!"_

_Eiko's eyes widened at that…just as Shitakarahi let the ribbon of fire fly. It moved like a bolt of lightning…and soon pierced her right through the heart. But it was so intense, it quickly expanded in heat…rippling through her…melting her flesh, burning her bones, and quickly turning her and her entire body into ash…_

_ …__but not before she managed to snap her arm up and fire off the fully-powered beam of cold once again._

_In spite of seeing her burn away before him…seeing her face tight with agony as she was consumed by fire once more…Jiro managed a weak smile as the huge beam of cold slammed into him and Shitakarahi. The force ravaged his body, breaking more of his bones, rending his flesh, and wrapping him in cold and ice so painful and bitter even _he_ felt it. Both he and the demon were thrown back again, slammed one more upward and into the molten sun. Yet even as Jiro plunged into the dark flame…all he could feel was coldness and ice as it wrapped around him, beginning to freeze him inside and out…chilling his very spirit as well as his body…_

_However, before he froze…he thought he would receive some joy…hearing the misery of the demon with him…realizing in spite of his best efforts, he still failed…_

_Unfortunately…he heard none of that._

_Before the cold claimed him…he heard only a dark chuckle._

_ "__Next time, little woman…I…and the snowflake…will be ready for you…"_

* * *

At that…Jiro's eyes flew open fully as he came to full consciousness.

Now…he understood.

He had been imprisoned along with Shitakarahi the last time. He had been sealed in that molten prison along with him, his soul trapped with his. Yet while he remained weakened, his power fully suppressed by the infernal fire coming from the demon's spirit, Shitakarahi once again regained his own strength, getting more and more powerful as the years went on.

He remembered what it was like in there now…chained inside a volcanic hell…tormented every minute of every day of that hellish time by the demon…pained and tortured again and again…until his mind began to fracture. Until his memories began to fade. Until he succumbed fully to amnesia just to preserve his sanity. But now, thinking back…he knew why. The demon did that on purpose. He made him forget everything rather than restrain him…rather than destroy him or keep him locked away. And then he released him in advance three years ago.

He didn't want Jiro to train Eiko this time…because Jiro's training of Eiko kept her soul "clear and calm". It enabled her to use her power. It enabled her to control it around others. Without Jiro there to help her as she grew up, she lived a life of fear. Her power spiked out of control, caused trouble, and led her to be shunned and afraid. Her soul grew more and more turbulent, and she never learned control at all. All so that the events of a few weeks ago could happen…she'd lose the ability to restrain it and then cause chaos. To rise everyone against her…to make them all hate her and hunt her…

Even he…he realized grimly…was released early so that he could be a source of torment for her. With his memory gone, he couldn't make the "conscious" connection with her. Certainly not within a few days. Yet it was there regardless. They both felt it even if they couldn't remember it. And as a result, when he did something to "break" it…it caused Eiko more agony and despair than ever. Enough to make her give up…to fully surrender her power…to enable Shitakarahi to revive…

He had planned this all out perfectly. He used both his sworn enemy and Jiro as a pawn. And Jiro couldn't remember it…couldn't realize what was going on…because doing so meant remembering his true agony. The agony he had felt of seeing his one true love die again and again… The fact that something had made him forget it, even for a terrible reason, even to just use him…it was something he couldn't go back on. He couldn't stand to think of Eiko dying anymore. Nothing else had brought him more pain. Even the torture of Shitakarahi was nothing compared to it…

Yet now, as all of this finally came back, he took in a deep breath.

_Eiko…_

_She's in trouble!_

In spite of the agony his body was in, to say nothing of the burns…which, fortunately, were healing due to the cold and his kami nature…

_…__That's right. I'm a kami…not a yokai at all… I guess I should have known… I'm not much of an 'animal' like the others…_

…he forced himself up and to his feet. He was wobbling and weak, but he couldn't afford to sit around. He had to get moving. And fast. With his past now confirmed…he realized where he was. He didn't know how it had happened. He wasn't conscious when Hachiro struck. But he knew, somehow, the power that was sealed in the Frozen Heart had to have been used to freeze the remains of this place and seal him inside. Even now, it was nearly pitch black and freezing cold. It was a relief to him…

But not to whoever was left.

And _definitely _not to Eiko.

"Eiko!" He started to shout. He couldn't see overhead, and walls of ice in a narrow path seemed twisted all around him. Nevertheless, he began to move through it. He didn't know where, but he had to go. He kept his hands in front of him, feeling for turns and breaks. "Eiko!" He shouted again. "Takara! Takeshi! Sat…" He trailed off. Would it really matter if Satoru heard him? He shook his head at the thought. "Satoru! Eiko! Where are you?"

He soon was winding his way through the icy path. There was no sign of lava or heat of any kind anymore. It had frozen…and fractured due to thermal shock. Soon, the path began to dip down as well as weave between the ice pillars…or, at least, rock pillars that had been frozen into ice. This place had become another maze in the wake of all of the coldness and stress. And far overhead, outside, he heard the window howling as the snow battered down against the ceiling. It wasn't just the storm. It was getting late. It had to be desperately cold in here now. And Eiko…in a human form…only having Jiro's outer robe for any protection…

"Eiko! Eiko, where are you?!" He shouted more desperately. He feared the worst. How long had he been out? How long had it taken him to remember? What if she was already dead? What if…?

Suddenly, very weakly, almost lost on the sound of the icy wind, he heard a voice call back.

"J-J-Jiro…?"

The young man immediately snapped his head. "Eiko! Shout out again!

"I'm…I'm here…"

Quickly, the frost kami moved through the cracked, misshapen landscape. He didn't like the fact that there didn't seem to be an clear way out of this. Especially since he didn't have his staff. He lost his ability to fly along with it… Yet he didn't care about that so much for right now as finding Eiko. He wound around the icy chasms, calling out again and again, having a hard time finding her echoes, and finally going into a path that led further downward. Finally, emerging into a small enclave that looked almost like an icy cave or chamber, he saw her.

She had spread as much of Jiro's haori around her as she could, tucking her arms in and wrapping them around herself, and trying to pull her feet off of the ice and into the robe as well. Even so…she was shivering all over, clearly freezing. One could barely make out any fine detail in this dark place, but he managed to see Eiko lift his head to him. He could almost hear her teeth chattering.

"Eiko!" He exclaimed, immediately running up to her side. In spite of the situation…in spite of how desperate everything seemed right now…he felt a bit of joy in his heart just seeing her alive, having not been slain by Shitakarahi for once… On reaching her, he immediately bent down and nearly extended his body around hers…

And stopped. Already, a bit of dread sank into him. Never before had he ever had the problem of needing to keep someone warm by himself. Especially never Eiko. The girl couldn't get cold in all of her past lives. But now…to his dread he realized if he tried to put his arms around her and hold her close, it would only make her colder.

And already, she looked terribly cold. She was shivering uncontrollably, huddled as best as she could be and yet not getting nearly enough protection from the haori. It already looked as if her consciousness was slipping a bit…

At any rate, her eyes managed to open enough to see him.

"I'm…s-s-such a f-f-fool… All I d-d-do is mess things up…"

"Don't say that." Jiro immediately answered. He started to look her over. She had that nasty wound on the side of her head, but he thought the dried blood he saw was simply due to being a head wound rather than serious, considering how much they bled. "Are you hurt bad?"

Eiko exhaled, and then bowed her head in response.

"…What d-d-does it matter." She slowly answered. "I've ruined everything… I've k-k-killed Arender-k-k-ken… I've s-s-sentenced my p-p-people to d-d-death…" She swallowed, and tightened up. "I've k-k-killed my own s-s-sister… I k-k-keep my p-p-power…and I hurt p-p-people. I give it up…and I hurt p-p-people… I'm j-j-just a c-c-curse on this world…"

"No, you're not!" Jiro suddenly spoke up, his voice growing in volume. In spite of himself, he reached out and grabbed her shoulders where the robe was. "Stop talking like that! I know things are bad and this is horrible…but it's still a mistake! It's not your fault!"

Eiko's only answer was to close her eyes. Yet to Jiro's fear, she began to slip…lowering down.

"I'm…s-s-sleepy…" She slowly said. "I…d-d-didn't know I c-c-could b-b-be…s-s-so s-s-sleepy…" She exhaled as she nearly slipped. "I…need to s-s-sleep…j-j-just a little…"

However, this caused Jiro to tense up. Immediately, he got his arms underneath her and, against her will, started to get her up. "No, Eiko. You can't sleep." He told her firmly. "You've got to get up. You've got to get moving around. Come on. Stay awake."

Eiko fought him only a little, but her will was shattered. He began to force her up to her feet. He still had more than enough strength for that. He wished desperately he had footwear to give her, but it couldn't be helped. Once she was up, he helped pull the haori around her as tight as possible, and then put his arm around her side. He forced her to start walking around. Eiko kept her head bowed and continued to shiver, but she did as he made her do and started to walk around the chamber. She had been smart getting in here, which protected her from most of the wind, but Jiro realized it was far too cold for her. She had to get out of here and warmed up somehow. Yet he could do nothing to help her. Even if he had full control of his powers, they were only good for making things cold…

After a time, Eiko sighed. "J-J-Just…leave me, J-J-Jiro…" She slowly said. "I nearly k-k-killed you… My s-s-sister's g-g-going to d-d-die b-b-because of me… If…if the others d-d-die…it'll b-b-be b-b-because of me… I…I j-j-just want t-t-to lie here and f-f-freeze t-t-to d-d-death…"

"No! Eiko, stop talking like that!" Jiro shouted back. Nearly insisting. "You aren't to blame for this! None of it!" He held a moment…and then turned his own head away. "…You're always like this. No matter how many times I run into you, you always think you have to take everyone's blame on yourself… You always have to be the 'sacrifice' for everyone. But it's not your fault this time. It's mine. This is what happened because I was just so desperate to change your fate…and mine…"

In spite of her listless state, Eiko looked up at that.

He exhaled. "I finally remembered… I'll tell you everything. Maybe it'll help keep you awake…"

* * *

Satoru's kusarigamas flashed out again, striking against the dome of ice surrounding the place. Once more, gleaming slashes were cut into the thick icy shell…only to close up again as soon as he pulled them back. Flipping around and switching to the hammers, he sent them flying out as well, smashing into it. It knocked cracks into the shell, sending out fragments of ice as well. And yet…the cracks repaired themselves and the pieces regrew. Tightening his face, he slashed and smashed more rapidly, and, for a brief moment, as he assaulted it furiously, he seemed to be "gaining ground" in spite of the regeneration…

But then, he suddenly made a face showing pain…and faltered down to all fours. The break allowed the damage to repair in moments.

Takara, who, along with Takeshi, was taking refuge in an icy embankment nearby, curved over like a sort of cave and providing a wind-break against the storm, let out a gasp at that. Takeshi himself was alert again, but was leaned up against the wall, arms around his middle, shivering a bit, but holding out for now. Takara was far colder, her arms wrapped around herself and rubbing vigorously. She was not in the least bit happy that she was grounded again…but that was the least of her worries now. She called out to the Sand Moth.

"Don't hurt yourself even more, Satoru!"

She groaned afterward, and looked to Takeshi.

"I don't get it… He could shatter ice so easy before… Is he that weakened?"

"The damn prison is 'alive', like those ice samurai…" The Ghost Hare hissed. "At least…that's what I figure… It'll regenerate everything we do to it…and none of us are strong enough to bust through in one shot…" He turned his head down and snorted. "…Hardly matters. We're all going to freeze to death soon anyway…"

Satoru slowly got up, making his kusarigamas vanish as he did. Gritting his teeth, and limping a bit from his pain, he put his arms around himself and began to head back toward the other two. As for Takara, she bowed her own head and sighed.

"I don't usually like looking on the 'bad side' of things…but I have to admit we're not doing so good right now. Even if we _could_ break out…the whole place is buried in a blizzard. We'd freeze to death before getting out of here. And even if we did _that_, we'd still have to deal with that flaming demon and Itachitoko… And even if we did _that_…it doesn't change the fact Akiko's going to die…and Nobuyuki's…"

She couldn't finish. She only began to sniffle.

Takeshi sighed as well. "…The big guy was right." He quietly stated after a moment. "I kept giving that kid a hard time. And, truth be told, he _did_ deserve some of it…but…" He exhaled. "…we should have listened to him. Hell, we should have even listened to Akiko. I fault humans for always thinking the same way when…when the fact of the matter is if I had a bit more 'hope' that I say I'm always doling out…none of this would have happened."

The Tooth Dragon looked to him. "You can't just blame yourself. We all could have had a bit more faith. I don't think any of us, deep down in our heart of hearts, really believed things could go as well as Akiko said. We all thought that this would come to a fight…that she was doing this on purpose…"

Satoru, entering the cave and beginning to move close to them, let out a jingling.

Takeshi frowned. "Well we _should_ have been smart enough not to get suckered in by that weasel man… Now everyone's going to pay for it…" He sighed. "…and two of us have already paid for it…"

The other two said nothing. They slumped as well and looked around at the blowing wind and just seeing the falling snow on the other side of the dark shell. They didn't like to think that this was it. That everything was over. Yet the truth was staring them in the face. After having been five strong a few days ago…they were now down to just the three of them. And it was only a matter of time before they froze to death…which might preferable to what was happening. They thought they could at least defend Akiko…but now both she was gone as well as Eiko. And they had lost Jiro and Nobuyuki as well… There was as chance the first might still be alive in here somewhere…but none of them could go out and look. They didn't even have their capes and cloaks anymore. They'd freeze in no time in their weakened condition… Besides, if they couldn't break out of here, if they couldn't find a way to keep warm, then it didn't matter…

Yet as despair began to settle on them…Satoru let out a small jingle.

Takeshi raised his head. "…First time I ever heard you make a jingle without saying anything…"

The Sand Moth looked up and blinked…and soon jingled again, a bit stronger.

Takara looked up and to him. "Yeah…me too…"

Another jingle, even louder. Another jingle, more conversational, soon followed.

"What do you mean you're not doing it?" The Ghost Hare answered…before he suddenly paused. "Wait…I felt that…"

"What are you…" Takara began to say…before she stopped too. "The ground…it's shaking…"

Sure enough, a light tremor was in the ground. But it wasn't continuous. Instead, it was more periodic…rhythmic. It was getting stronger too. Periodically shaking the ground again and again…growing in intensity each time. Soon, bits of snow and ice on pillars began to break off and crumble. The three continued to look around a bit more…before they realized it was coming from outside, and around the corner. On that note, in spite of the cold, they all got up and looked out and around the side.

By this point, the shaking was so fierce it disturbed all of their footing. But that wasn't all they heard. Cracking was starting to ring out. The sound of ice and rock alike smashing. The three looked around for a moment for the source…before they saw some of the ice beginning to fracture and buckle. They focused on that as it kept getting higher, continuing to break and grow larger, before, at last, it split.

With a tremendous gesture of force, the icy shell over the floor of the area erupted…and a massive, monstrous fist from what looked like a bear claw broke through.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	11. The Queen's New Samurai

Eiko had grown more listless with time as Jiro told the story. It had to have taken a full hour to do so. She kept walking…but she was looking worse all the time. Her hair, eyebrows, and the haori she wore were coated with frost. He prayed it wasn't him who had done it… She had stopped shivering now, but that wasn't a good sign to Jiro. It was a sign her body was "giving in", no longer even trying to keep itself warm…

Yet when he was done, she blinked, and looked up to him. In spite of her weak eyes, she managed to look into his.

"So…that's who you are…and that's who I am…"

Jiro looked back and nodded. He gave a weak smile. "…Who'd have thought, huh?"

Eiko stared at him a bit longer, but then looked down.

"…I won't say I 'knew', but…somehow I felt it was true." She said after a time. "I felt it in my heart… Seeing you…you didn't look like much of a stranger when we met… Part of me…I think was waiting for that moment my entire life… Something…about when I was a child…seemed off… Like something should have been there but wasn't…"

Jiro's own head bowed. "…Now you see this is all my fault, Eiko. It was because I couldn't bear it any longer. I thought…I thought 'if only I intervene…if I do something that makes the fight just a little more in her favor…she'll live and everything will be alright…'" He paused, and then sighed. "…If only you had shot us a moment earlier, you would have had enough power to stop him for good."

"But…I would have killed you…"

Jiro grimaced. "Who cares? What does the world lose? Some little mischievous kami who likes playing jokes and entertaining kids?"

"Jiro."

The sudden firmness of Eiko's voice made the frost kami look to her…and he saw sudden strength in her as she looked to him.

"…You want to protect me. You want me to be alive and happy. But…but now that I know where my feelings come from…now that I know who I am…" She held, and then looked more anxiously at him, actually reaching out her hand and placing it on his chest.

"…Do you honestly think I _want_ to live a long life without you?"

The young man was taken aback.

"Do you think I would have loved being in any sort of world that didn't have _you_ in it?" She answered. "I can die, Jiro…because I can come back. But not you. You would have sentenced me to eternity without you. How long do you think my soul could have been 'calm' then? How happy do you think I could have been? You saw it yourself. Look at the person I am without you at my side, Jiro. Scared…timid…uncertain…weak…"

"But you're _not_ weak, Eiko!" He insisted. "You've always been wiser and stronger than any other woman I've ever known! No matter in what form you were reborn as!"

"But I could never look past my weaknesses!" The queen retorted. "And I _did_ have them…no matter how perfect you thought I was! I could never see past any failure I ever made! Any mistake I made! I lived in a world of mortals who judged me and condemned me! Who told me everything that made me special was a blight and a curse! And I wasn't strong enough to see anything different! Jiro…you always helped me realize what I was! Like you tried to tell me…you saw that there was 'beauty' in my power! Something good! It doesn't matter how great I was if I could never see past everything I failed at!

"You gave me something nothing else could give me! My sister could give me her love, but she couldn't give me the one thing I wanted…happiness! The only time I've ever felt happy is when I've been with you! I couldn't live in a world without that! I couldn't destroy the only man I ever loved! The one who loved me just for who I was and not because I was a queen or powerful! The one who's standing next to me right now when I'm a powerless wretch being left to freeze to death!"

Jiro was silent, but his mouth hung open as he stared at her. He had never expected that. He supposed he should have, but…he had assumed, maybe because she had no memory of her past lives, that Eiko couldn't really "feel" the same way he did. As strongly as him. And yet, now that her heart was open and everything in her spirit came back to her, he realized the same thing he had…even without memory, they knew they were meant for each other. Their love transcended time and memory.

Somehow…both knew…even when they met each other fighting to the death…that they belonged to one another.

Time passed as Jiro tried to think of something else to say. They continued to walk around, and Eiko grew quiet and cringed once again, her body weakening a bit more with each step. Yet the kami was so focused on what she said he hardly noticed, and still wanted to say something in reply but couldn't find the words. Yet as he tried to, Eiko slowed in her step and bowed her head. After a moment, her eyes slowly closed, and a smile began to spread across her face.

"Ah…that's better…"

Jiro, shaken from his thoughts, blinked. "…Huh?"

"Warm…it feels warm…" Eiko answered as she leaned her head up, but kept her eyes closed. She actually began to pull up and out of the haori. "It feels great…can't you feel it, Jiro?"

The young man continued to look puzzled. "No…no, it's not, Eiko. It's still freezing."

"No…really…it's so warm…it's even hot…" She murmured. "Makes me want to pull this robe off…" Her hands actually began to reach for it.

At that point, Jiro realized what was happening…and his face tightened in fear. Quickly, he grasped Eiko's arms and pulled them away from the robe, and then pulled it close around her again.

"Eiko, no. It's not warm. It's not warm at all." He said firmly…almost insistently. "Now open your eyes. Keep your eyes open."

Eiko only let out a sigh as her head slumped again. "…I'm tired, Jiro… So tired… I'm mortal now...I need to sleep... Please…let me sleep…just a little while…" Her legs began to weaken…she began to sink…

"Eiko, no!" Jiro shouted more insistently, seizing her by the arms and forcing her up. "Open your eyes! You _can't_ go to sleep! You're freezing to death!" He began to violently shake her. "Open your eyes! Stand up!"

It wasn't doing any good. The woman only continued to slump. "Please… Just…a few…minutes…" She muttered, and said no more. Her legs simply gave way beneath her all together.

Before she could collapse, Jiro quickly shot out, put his arms around her, and lifted her up. Yet he again cursed himself. Just holding her up like this, so close to his body, was making her colder than ever…

"Eiko! Open your eyes!"

No reaction at all. The woman had either fallen asleep…or…

"Wake up!" He said as he shook her again. "You have to wake up!"

Still nothing. She was lifeless in his arms. He didn't even risk taking her pulse although he wanted to…because he knew his touch would only subject her to more cold. Yet to his horror…he could do nothing. He had no powers. No ways of making heat. Not even a cape or cloak to put around her. He was holding her so close now…as close as he had always wanted…and yet he realized doing so was only hastening her demise. Where anyone else could have kept the love of their life warm by such a gesture…he was only endangering her life.

"Eiko…please…wake up…"

Still no response from the hime. Even without feeling her pulse…he knew she was fading quickly. This ice chamber would have been death to anyone…but to a woman who was nude save for a robe? Her life was fading out of her right now…and he couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't even slow it down…

She was dying again…and he was again helpless to do anything except watch her die.

"Eiko…" He slowly said, tears beginning to fill his eyes as he held her…watching her turn pale…watching frost gather on her eyelashes and hair…

The painful terror began to sink into him. It was so crippling…he fell to his knees, still holding onto her. Helpless again. Always helpless. No matter what he did…this was always the same result. Her body in his arms. As he continued to stare, the pain only grew worse. The fear and sadness piled up higher and higher. Yet in spite of all of that…his anger began to surge as well.

_I love this woman. She's the most important thing in the entire world to me. I'd do absolutely anything for her. And yet she means so much to me…and I can't do anything except watch her suffer and die. At a time like this…when the most wonderful woman in the world to me is dying and needs me more than ever…I can't do anything. Not a single thing. I'm the only one in the world who can help her…and I might as well not even exist. All I can do is make her suffering worse…_

_ …_

_ …__What good am I to her if I can't ever help her?! What good am I to _anyone_ if I can't do anything to help the dearest person in the world to me?! If the only thing I can do is watch them die?!_

Tears were rolling down Jiro's cheeks…but in spite of that, his face began to tighten up. His teeth clenched. Then…he reached out, seized Eiko more fiercely, hugged her rapidly-freezing body to his, and then looked skyward. His eyes were filled with anger…perhaps a touch of hate…and desperation.

"…I know you're up there. I know you can hear me." He stated through clenched teeth. "I don't know if you've been watching me 'act things out' for three years and getting some sort of sick joy from it…if this is part of some 'greater design'….if you stopped talking to me because I rebelled against you…or if you honestly couldn't do anything about all of this. And right now, I don't care. You all know that I've never apologized for anything in my life. That I've never bowed down to anyone before or treated anyone with reverence. Even when I was still your frost kami I barely heeded you except when it interested me. And you know I have too much pride to ever fully 'bow' to anyone."

Jiro held a moment more…and then risked moving Eiko away from him and lying her body on the ground. After that…he fully prostrated himself.

"…You want to see me humbled? You want to see me groveling before you? Here I am. I'm powerless…helpless…and without anything in the world. I've never asked anything from you before in my life…but right now, I'm _begging_ you with all my heart and soul…please…_please…_save her. Just this once…and I'll never question you again. I'll do whatever you command or demand of me. Even if you want to throw me into the foulest hell…I'll go willingly. Just…_please…_ Just. This. Once."

Silence greeted him…not only in the real world, but also in Jiro's mind. They hadn't spoken to him at all since the day he walked out on them. Yet he kept listening. They had other ways of "speaking", after all. As tears rolled out of his eyes, as his anger gave way to total humility and humbleness, he lay there and prayed silently that they would hear him…that for once they would help her. She hadn't completed her "task" yet. They still needed her…didn't they? He didn't know…but he knew he had no choice. He could do nothing to help her now…

Slowly, he leaned his head up from the ground. He wanted to look to her…see how bad she was…

And then…he saw it.

They were surrounded by walls of ice…but he could see movement on the other side of the one in front of him. It was faint. He couldn't make it out at first. And normally he would have dismissed it as a trick of light. Yet as he looked on a bit longer…he made it out distinctly. There was something there. Movement on the other side of the ice. It was rippling…waving…painting streaks against the opposite side of the ice wall and then fading again…

He knew what that was.

Heat.

He blinked twice to clear his tears, and then quickly got to his feet. In an instant, he scrambled over to the ice wall for a closer look. It was thick and solid. A good four feet thick, in fact. But it was also clear enough to where he could see through to the other side. And on the other side…something warm was moving above vapor on the walls. It was an open chamber of some sort. He looked in a bit closer…and he just managed to make it out through the ice. He supposed it figured. After all…between all of the fire that had been put out, as well as the fact that this mountain had to have been the result of magma and the world shifting…it made sense that there would be more geothermal features under the snow and ice…like a hot spring.

_A hot spring!_

Realizing that, Jiro immediately slapped his palm against the ice wall and grinned for joy. It might still be possible to save her… Yet his enthusiasm died almost immediately. This ice was solid and four feet thick…and without his staff he could do next to nothing. Even if he could somehow find a rock or tool to chip away at this ice…Eiko didn't have that time. She couldn't possibly have more than minutes.

Feeling his anger swell again, Jiro punched the wall in fury…not even caring that he bruised three knuckles doing so. He told himself to think…try to find a way around this. He wasn't totally powerless like this… He couldn't be! He was a kami! He had to have something he could do! He tried hard to think. What could he do without the aid of his staff? Make things colder that he touched…frost things over…chill the air…all things he didn't need. He clenched his teeth angrily. So many of his powers were just used for cold or offense. He didn't have anything that everyone could just "appreciate", like those silly rabbits he had made…

_…__The rabbits!_

Quickly, Jiro swept his hand over the wall. A moment later, a few tiny pieces of ice broke off, separated into tiny bits, and then formed a small snow rabbit. This one didn't move. He needed his staff to work it like a puppet for fine actions. However, he didn't care. A tiny amount of ice had been separated from the wall to make it… Quickly, he seized the rabbit, flung it away, and then ran his hands along the wall again.

In moments, dozens…hundreds of snow rabbits were being formed from the wall. Jiro generated them as fast as he could and either moved them behind him with his power or tossed them out of the way. In a short while, he was visibly eroding the wall, albeit slowly. He wanted to look back to Eiko, knowing full well the longer this was taking the sooner she would be beyond help… Yet he used that fear only to push himself harder as he made more and more of them.

An odd pile of the snowy figures was soon growing in the room, and growing larger quickly. They seemed to almost "shower" off of Jiro as he kept working. He grew more and more frantic as he continued. The bunnies grew smaller and more mishapened, but he continued to make them. The ice wall was eroding too slowly for him. He actually worked up a sweat continuing to work. He also didn't notice that his already weakened body was at its limit. He was draining himself dry. His own knees began to wobble. He panted as beads of salty sweat came off his brow…but still he kept pushing.

Finally…the room on the other side gave way to air. He felt a trace of a lukewarm breeze on his hand. Immediately, he stopped trying to tunnel. At this point a pile of snow rabbits were gathered at his feet, and he furiously dug and kicked them out of the way with power he didn't have, while he enlarged the hole. He only did so until he was certain that he could squeeze Eiko through…and then turned around, snapped back into the room, and scooped up the queen "bridal style" as fast as he could.

She was still pale and frost-lined, and it terrified him that she was so pale… He dreaded to think how cold she was. But soon, he brought her into the new chamber.

Finally getting a good look at it, he noticed that the walls were glistening a bit with moisture, but not melting. It was far too cold for that. In fact, the only bit of warmth was a shallow pool from the spring in the middle of the chamber, pouring off steam. It made the room slightly warmer, and he could feel _that_…but it wasn't too terribly warm…

At any rate, he soon lay Eiko down next to the spring, hoping to get his hands off of her as soon as possible. He felt weak and dizzy himself by now. Heat didn't "hurt" him…but it did leave him out of sorts. And he was already so weakened… His own consciousness was starting to slip…but he shook the hime…

"Eiko…wake up… It's warm in here…"

Unfortunately…she didn't stir at all. And he could see why. The only warmth was coming from the hot spring, and it was so sharply cold everywhere else that all the woman would get is a few warm breezes, even this close to it. It might be enough if she was "chilly"…but she was freezing to death…perhaps her heart having already stopped from hypothermia…

She needed more than this. In spite of getting hard to think, Jiro looked up weakly to the hot spring itself. Slipping her in there would probably be better…but he saw that the water was boiling. It might be far too hot… Switching out "boiling to death" wasn't much of a substitute for freezing to death…

However…he got an idea. He generated, cold, right?

With that in mind, he quickly reached down and took off his pants. He might need the cloth for her later. He left his undergarment cloth on, but he dipped his feet into the water. Sure enough, it was so boiling that he let out a mild cry…but quickly his own innate coldness cooled it off. He had no reference for "an ice cube in a hot drink", but quickly the water around him went from boiling and scalding to a more restful warmth. Still pretty warm…enough to where one didn't normally want to stay too long, but…

Jiro slipped in the rest of the way, and it nearly made him swoon…but it also went up to his neck. Panting again, his head lolling, he stopped just long enough to see that the water had stopped boiling around his body. It was still doing so farther out, but the area nearest him was only warm. With that in mind, and starting to fully realize just how weakened he was, he leaned back out of the water and grasped Eiko.

"Come on… Stay with me just a few more seconds…"

By now, he was so weak he could almost only drag her. He brought her close enough to the water to lower her own lower legs in, and then reached up and pulled off the haori. He had no time to blush at her naked body. He only used all the strength he could muster to pull her into the hot spring. Soon, the water frothed around her as she sank to her neck.

Jiro quickly drew in close, putting his arms around her to keep the water warm but not hot enough to burn. His own head nodded, nearly falling on her shoulder.

"It's warm, Eiko… So come on…wake up for me…"

In spite of his own fading consciousness…he realized he could finally touch her freely. Just holding her close like this brought him a small measure of joy… But she had to wake up… He had to stay up long enough for her to wake up… His own senses were blurring. The steam and heat was too much for him. But he still held…waiting…praying…

_Give me a sign of life, Eiko… Please…_

He nearly passed out, and still she was still in his arms. His momentarily joy began to fade. Fear started to sink into his heart…

"Mmm…"

But finally, moments before unconsciousness…he felt the woman stir in his grip as she made just the smallest noise.

Letting out one last sigh of relief, and smiling wide…Jiro passed out.

* * *

"I think he's coming around…"

"Pft. Probably would have woke him up sooner if you just buried him in the snow…"

Jiro's mind was so disconnected and stressed from everything that he barely recognized who was talking or what was being said. He didn't know what had happened, where he was, or how he had gotten there. And as he cracked open his eyes and saw faces looking over him, and above it a rough ceiling looking hewn from ice, he had nothing but a lack of recognition for a few moments.

One of the faces turned to concern while the other exhaled and moved back.

"Looks like he was knocked for a loop… Jiro? Can you hear me?"

"He'll be alright. The kenshusei is so thick-headed he wouldn't even know it if he had his brains bashed in…"

Jiro blinked a few more times…and slowly both reality and what happened came to him. He found that he was lying on the ground again, and that he had been dressed in his clothes once more. He wasn't making direct contact with the ice. Rather, it seemed as if a familiar soft cape was spread out for him to lie on. He blinked again…and his memory registered the smiling face looking over him. It was Takara.

As awareness came back to him…with it soon came a multitude of questions and concerns, not the least of which was what he was doing there, how he had gotten there, and what had happened to Eiko. Yet before he could speak, a booming, "jolly" voice called out.

"I'm not so sure about that…but he must have a bit of me rubbed off upon him to have stood up to all of that."

The frost kami's eyes widened, and for just a moment his concerns were removed. In a flash, he sat up…ignoring the pounding to his head, or the aches from his old injuries and wounds…which he failed to realize had been treated as best as possible and bound in cloth. As soon as he was up, however, he winced and blinked to clear his vision…and saw a welcome sight.

Sitting cross-legged in the same area Jiro was in, which seemed to be some sort of ice formation like a cave, the Jolly Bear sat with arms crossed and a smile on his face. His beard was singed and he smelled of burnt flesh and ash all over. He looked rather haggard and worn…like sitting up and smiling was all he could do for right now…and parts of his skin were blackened, but he was also quite alive.

The kami's mouth hung open.

To this, Nobuyuki merely gave a chuckle. "Heh…why so shocked, Jiro? Didn't think a little thing like bathing in lava was going to do me in, did you? True…I stayed 'in the tub' far longer than I wished and I might have been roasted if the lava hadn't cooled when it did…but as if such a short, small excursion could leave any mark on me, heh!"

Takara grimaced on hearing that, looking back to him. "Don't be too cocky, Nobuyuki… Your skin just finished regrowing less than a quarter of an hour ago. I thought you were some hideous undead when you clawed your way out of the rock and ice…"

"You too, Takara?" Nobuyuki chuckled, as he held up a fist. "I wouldn't be much of a Jolly Bear if I was scared of a touch of heat!" He pounded himself on the chest.

Yet, in spite of his boasting…Jiro saw his eyes water and his teeth stiffen at that. Apparently, just touching himself where flesh had recently regrown was enough to drive him into pain. He almost fell back…but he managed to keep his smile and kept grinning.

A snort rang out. "And you say you rubbed off on the kid… Sure with that cocky attitude part of him didn't rub off on _you_?"

Hearing that, Jiro turned his head to one side…and saw the other two. Takeshi was leaned up against a wall of ice, yet had somehow either scared up a cape or found his old one and had it draped over his back to keep from making contact with the wall. Furthermore, his sides were also heavily bound, and he looked to be in far more pain than Nobuyuki. Near him, also leaning against the wall and seeming to be in slightly less pain, was Satoru. He managed a smile and a jingle when Jiro spotted him. The Ghost Hare, on the other hand, gave him a harder look.

"I knew you'd slip up some day. And sure enough…you almost get yourself killed. You always were too full of your power. Not much good without your staff, though, is it? You lucked out." He sternly stated.

Takara, however, cracked a half smile and looked to Takeshi. "Really? That's _all_ you want to say to Jiro after all those moments you had and now that he's finally awake?"

The rabbit-eared man snorted. "He _still_ should have let us in on what he was doing, even if he just happened to end up doing the right thing. It would have avoided a lot of this mess…"

"I was thinking you would let him in on happened…" The Tooth Dragon playfully answered. "How once Nobuyuki was back and he helped us warm up a bit, we went out looking for him and Eiko and expected to find them dead, and instead when we found them in that hot spring, safe and sound, how you literally broke down in tears…"

Jiro's eyes snapped open wide…although Takeshi's turned even wider before his face flushed red. "Hey…hey! Wait a-"

"How you put your arms around him and gave him a big hug… Sobbing all the while…" Takara nearly whistled as she looked to the frozen ceiling.

The kami's eyes looked like they would fall out of his head as Takeshi's ears collapsed. He snapped to him. "You…you really did all…"

"I forgot you 'like' cold and I was making sure you weren't freezing!" The Ghost Hare snapped back defensively. "And I was a _little_ happy to see you were alright just because that meant I would have a chance to formally apologize for having insulted you before this began! Do you know what that would do to my conscience if I had wronged you, you died, and I never had a chance to atone for it? I couldn't call myself a samurai ever again!" He paused momentarily. "…I'm sorry. There."

Jiro was stunned, while Takeshi crossed his arms, frowned, and did his best to look like his normal irritable self. The frost kami had to try hard not to bust into a giggle…and, to be honest, he didn't want to this time. There was a point where he would have burst out laughing just to see the Ghost Hare squirm. But after everything that had happened back there…Jiro realized, for all the arguing he did with Takeshi, just like the others…they meant a lot to him. And even knowing who he really was, he realized they _still_ meant a lot to him. Even during his years going around spreading frost, or even spreading fun, he realized he had "playmates"…but no friends. The gods were hardly good companions. They just called him when they needed something. He was pretty sure now why he had ended up gravitating to the Jido no Hogu-sha so much… That they saw the world a lot like him. That they enjoyed his fun-loving nature. Most of all…because they were his first real friends.

So for once, Jiro let it slide.

"…Apology accepted." He answered.

Takeshi snorted and didn't look to him again…but his face didn't turn angry.

However, now that the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were confirmed safe, Jiro immediately turned back to Takara and Nobuyuki. "But how did I get here? Where's Eiko? She was-"

Takara stopped him by putting up her hand. "Fine, Jiro. Just fine. See for yourself." She gestured to one side.

The young man looked…and got a pleasant, if not unexpected, surprise.

A small iron pit was perched on the rock and ice, with a small fire blazing in it. Lying next to it, however, on a futon under several thick blankets, was Eiko. She looked far more healthy now. Her head injury had been cleaned and tended, her skin was once again rosy, and she was neither shivering nor still…just breathing slowly, clearly asleep. In her current position, she looked both warm and comfortable.

"Smart thinking, what you did…although I don't see how you could have found a hot spring to begin with…" Nobuyuki answered. "Impossible to see much through this ice, after all. You got her inside just in time, and it seems your own power kept the water cool enough to just warm her instead of burning her. When we found you, you were totally exhausted. You were nearly sliding under the water and taking her with you, but we pulled you out. After that, I carried you back in one arm and, after Takara dried her off bundled her up, Eiko in the other."

That, however, confused him a bit. "But…where did you find that mattress? Those blankets? The iron pit with the fuel?"

Hearing that…Takara winced a bit and bowed her head, clearly looking uneasy. Nobuyuki's own head lowered slightly, but he stayed more "steadfast" and explained.

"…Akiko's love…is like a fire that nothing can quench." He stated. "Not in 200 years have I found a spirit so fiery and passionate…yet also as innocent, simple, and yet hopeful and full of wonder as a child. In spite of everything that has happened…in spite of how she has to be suffering and despairing at this very moment…her belief in us…her belief in her sister…has yet to diminish. It's her love…her desire to see Eiko happy…that allowed me to use my 'gift technique' and give her these things. They're 'Akiko's gifts to her sister'. She must have known deep down inside her sister would need means to keep warm…and she wished I could make these for her, and so I did."

"She even wished for a winter outfit for her…" Takara quietly added. "She must have known she'd need to move around…"

"That kid…so simple…so naïve…" Takeshi murmured from his side. "…It seems like an unforgiveable sin that anyone would want to hurt her. This world already has so much innocence choked out of it by the bastards in power… Some dirty son of a bitch trying to take advantage of hers…"

Jiro, on hearing this, couldn't help but agree with Takeshi. To be honest…he had nearly forgotten about Akiko. But now that he thought on it…while Akiko's spirit may have never been immortal…she was intended to 'play a role' in all of this as well. Once Eiko had died, it would have been her job to continue her family's line. And realizing that…it turned Jiro's stomach. He had never interacted with any of the 'younger sisters'. He always left that to Eiko over the years. Yet he realized if they were anything like Akiko…that was a tragedy and a crime too. Akiko may have been annoying and simple at times…but she had a pure heart and a kind soul. And such a thing was _never_ a sin, and was always something that left the world better behind it. To think that Akiko would end up having to suffer just like Jiro if Eiko died… She had been so devoted to her…so determined to save her… To have it "blow up in her face"… It would be a horrendous tragedy for her too.

_I never even thought about the impact Eiko's death over the years had on others. But this…Akiko doesn't deserve it either. She'd be heartbroken…and no decent person would want to see someone like Akiko heartbroken. Not a woman who 'glows' so much that she lightens the heart of those she's around just by being there and eager to please…_

"Jiro."

Again, the young man's thoughts were distracted. He looked up, and saw Takara was looking at him again.

"…You don't happen to know anything about why Itachitoko called you a 'kami', do you?"

That was right…none of the others knew the truth yet. And to be honest…he realized that Eiko had been plenty broken up when he reunited with her a little while ago, but everyone was a lot more somber now…and Akiko wasn't actually with them. He began to realize they couldn't just be talking about Eiko accidentally hitting her in the heart…

For that matter…where was Hachiro and Nakamura?

"…I think we both need to bring each other 'up to speed'…although I've got more to say…"

* * *

The two sides related everything that happened. Jiro was stunned…shocked about what had happened after he passed out. No wonder Eiko had been on the edge of total despair once again. She not only lost her powers…they were stolen from her. Hachiro was in on it the whole time, and now…to his growing dread…this would make _him_ the Yuki no Megami…or, more appropriately in his case, the Yuki no Kami. Shitakarahi had planned this out all too well. Made sure that there wouldn't be even the slightest opposition to him… He had to admire the power of a thing that spent the majority of its time sealed away in a statue made of cooled magma…

Of course, Jiro's story was much longer, but he didn't mind relating it a second time. He sat close to Eiko while he told his. He wished he could have leaned over and put his hand on her while he talked, but he held off…just enjoying the fact she looked comfortable for now. As it turned out, Satoru had tried to give her some "happy dreams" at least…but Eiko's spirit was in too much turmoil for that now and wouldn't "accept" them. The best he could do was ensure her sleep was peaceful and free of nightmares.

The end result was everything growing more painful and tragic for everyone. Even the fact that Akiko's love had enabled Takeshi to bring out eggs filled with Eiko's favorite noodles and broth, enabling them all to regain some of their strength from a hot meal and get warmer (for they were still imprisoned in the icy shell) drove home more sacrifices that had been made, and for very little return. Jiro never thought he'd ever be grateful to any human other than Eiko, yet he found himself not only grateful to Akiko…but also to Nakamura. The man had been judgmental and close-minded…but he was also a real "samurai" at the end, and Jiro owed him and Akiko his life. And both of them had been betrayed by that deranged little worm…

When he was done, Takara looked at him almost in amazement.

"So…so you're a kami, Jiro? And all this time, we've been calling you 'kenshusei'… You've got to be millennia older than us."

Jiro waved his hand with a snicker. "Don't sweat it. In fact…you're more accurate than you think. Kami aren't like yokai. You all run around whenever and wherever, all day, every day. Kami, on the other hand, are 'inactive' until something decides to wake them up to do something. The rest of the time we're just 'one with nature'. The big guys like the gods might always be aware, but frost kamis like me are usually just 'frost' unless we have to do something. Plus I usually don't get any 'experiences' being a kami except when I need to interact with something. So while I may be a lot older than you four, I guess you could say 'emotionally' or 'mentally' I'm much closer to your ages."

"Well, that's a relief, because I'll be dead before I start calling you 'sempai'…" Takeshi muttered. "But forget that. This only makes things even worse. There's some detail you're overlooking in your story. You said every time Eiko dies, she always has a younger sister who becomes the next queen in her place and continues the family, right?"

Jiro gave a nod. "Yeah."

"Then this Shitakarahi bastard has 'done this to death'." The Ghost Hare responded. "It wasn't enough for him to keep you from training Eiko. It wasn't enough for her to give up her power. It wasn't even enough for this bastard to get Eiko's power for himself. He's going to kill Akiko too. Without her power…without her sister…Eiko's 'story' will end here. There's absolutely no way this demon can be beaten now or in the future."

The frost kami's eyes widened a bit. He hadn't realized that.

Takara looked to Eiko regretfully. By now, she looked like she was finally stirring, awakening from her exhausting experience. She shook her head. "That poor woman… Now I know what I've been sensing. This 'power' isn't something foreign or external to Eiko. Ever since you first gave her the Frozen Heart, she's become the Yuki no Megami. Not an 'avatar'…not 'possessed'…literally a god of winter. Taking away her power has left her with only 'half a soul'. I'm not sure what the long-term effects of that will be…but right now it has to be leaving her feeling 'empty' and 'incomplete' in everything…"

"Then I have to get it back." Jiro instantly answered. "I'm going right now…"

"Easier said than done." Nobuyuki exhaled in response. He pointed behind him, to the front of the 'ice cave' they had been using for shelter, having used himself as a wind-break the whole time. Jiro looked, and saw, right outside of it, another ice wall. "That wall out there is too thick for me or Satoru to break in our weakened states. And it has 'life' in it like the ice samurai did. It rebuilds itself each time we try. What is worse is that…"

He pointed forward to the fire pit. By now, most of the fuel was burned, and it was starting to lower.

"It was amazing that Akiko's love was strong enough for me to make all of this…but I cannot make things endlessly. And Takeshi cannot endlessly produce food. Both of us have made all that we can. Besides…as Akiko weakens, if she dies…then we won't be able to get any more from her. And then it won't be long before we're all 'needing that hot spring'…"

"Hate to be even more of a pessimist…" Takeshi sighed. "But worse than that. Even if we could break through the shell, this whole area's engulfed in the worst blizzard in history. There's no way Satoru, me, Takara, and Eiko would be able to get through it alive…"

Satoru, in answer, rubbed his chin a moment, and then let out a tingling sound.

"…_That_ might work." Takara answered. "But it still doesn't solve how we're going to get out of the-"

Suddenly, the Tooth Dragon was cut off…as a massive crackling and crumbling sound of what had to be tons of ice rang out. It came from right outside, and immediately the Jido no Hogu-sha snapped to attention, turned, and looked out the entrance…and were just in time to see a massive section of the ice shell abruptly collapse and spill out in front of them. Some of the pieces went into the chasm. Others just rolled out of the way and remained in piles. But the fact that a freezing blast of wind and snow whipped over them showed them what must have occurred…the shell had been broken open.

The five were stunned. Takara, Satoru, and Takeshi immediately moved back and swept their arms in front of them to shield from the blast. Jiro himself quickly moved in front of Eiko to protect her, leaving only Nobuyuki to shade his eyes and look into the blowing snow for what had just happened, and what would be the cause.

They didn't have to wait long. Soon…an icy young humanoid came picking his way up and over the ice and snow.

"Hey, do any of you guys know who put that big icy dome over the palace while I was gone?" Osamu asked. "Because you wouldn't _believe_ how hard it was to get it open…"

* * *

After taking a few minutes to build up a "break" against the wind and snow long enough to talk for just a bit more, Osamu came in…or, at least, in enough to where the fire wouldn't possibly damage him.

"You know, I really like heat, but…I think I'm 'good' on it for a while after that one guy…" The snowman stated. "I always thought summer would be more 'lovely' and less 'roast-you-alive-y'…"

"Osamu, what happened?" Nobuyuki asked. "How did you break in?"

"Well…first I did what I was told and ran back down the mountain until it got cold enough for me to freeze again. Then soon after I saw this big ugly monster run by… I knew it wasn't one of Eiko's. This one…er…well, let's just say he didn't look good. I followed all the way back to Arender-ken. Once I got there, whoa…" He let out a snicker. "If Eiko thought she was locking that country in eternal winter before, phew! She hasn't seen anything yet! Pretty much just freezing everything in blocks of ice…buildings…people…trying to remodel the castle… He even tore that monster he made up apart and used him for building materials…"

"He…did what?"

Everyone snapped around at this, and found themselves looking to Eiko. The woman's eyes were open, and she was leaning up from the futon, staring in growing fear at what Osamu was saying. It was anyone's guess how long she had been awake, but it seemed she was "in" on the conversation now.

She looked nervously to the others. "…I don't know in how many past lives I ever 'created life'…but I know now there's a good reason I did it so sparingly. Osamu's _alive_…just like all of those warriors I made. They're living, thinking, feeling creatures. Sure…the samurai I made with the intent of protecting me and I gave them the desire to be loyal to me…but they were still living things. They had emotions and, in time, would have had personalities and interests of their own… Killing them was an act of murder. And what Hachiro did…creating a living thing just to destroy it soon after…" She bowed her head slightly. "…It's an abomination…a horrible evil…"

"Something the gods never intended, that's for sure…" Jiro grumbled.

Eiko soon looked up again. "Akiko? Have you seen Akiko?"

"I managed to sneak into the palace. Really…it wasn't too hard." Osamu answered. "No guards or nothing. I mean…all the human guards either ran off or got frozen… I don't really see why more people aren't storming it… Oh! Unless, um…everyone would normally freeze to death by the time they got inside. That would explain it…"

"Osamu…Akiko?" Eiko interjected.

"Oh! Right, right! Akiko's in there. She's on the first floor. He chained her up in one of the big rooms like you have, Eiko…or…um…'had', I guess. Anyway…I heard them arguing when I snuck in… Akiko was saying something like 'you won't get away with this' and she'd never give herself to him…or something. And he was all like 'I don't care, I was going to kill you anyway to get rid of the heir, but your sister took care of that for me'."

Jiro quickly interjected before he could say another word to upset Eiko. "How is she now? Did you get her out?"

Osamu shook his head. "I was going to…but…her hair had turned white and she was shivering so much she couldn't move…" He answered sadly. "And when I tried to help…she told me to go help you guys. So…here I am. Sorry it took me so long to get through the shell."

"Didn't take nearly as long as we would have…" Takeshi answered. He looked to the others. "I don't think I need to explain that things look pretty bad right now. Even if Osamu did that trick of his to slide on the snow up here…it has to have been a while since he left Arender-ken. In a freezing cold palace…even dressed like she was…I don't think…"

He trailed off there. Takeshi may have been rough…but he wasn't so "cold" as to say something that would only sound worse for Eiko. At any rate, Takara was looking anxious now too. They all were, in fact. They stayed silent and looked to each other for a moment.

"So…what now?" Takeshi asked after a moment.

"We can't even beat Itachitoko…let alone Shitakarahi…" Takara nervously answered. "They have to be even stronger now…"

Satoru looked up and jingled a bit.

"No good…" Nobuyuki quietly answered. "Even if it was in my nature to 'run and hide', there's no place in Japan safe from them…or there won't be soon. There will only be whatever fiery hell the demon unleashes…or the freezing cold tomb that Arender-ken has been turned into. Besides…it would be dishonorable for any samurai to give up now. Even if death is all that awaits us…"

"You've got a point…but I'm thinking death may be all that awaits us after all…" Takeshi sighed. "I'm badly cut… Satoru has broken bones… You're still regenerating… And Takara can't survive long in the cold or the heat." He turned his head. "And you two just recovered…one of you from the edge of death… The odds are against us all the way. This is one problem we can't 'muscle through' this time."

There was a momentary pause of silence. Jiro looked up, not sure what to do himself, or what to say in a situation like this. Yet the pause soon broke when he heard an inhale so powerful behind him that everyone looked to it. Soon after, Eiko raised her head…

…Her look, for the first time in days, becoming "regal" again.

"…I know _exactly _what _I _am going to do. I am going to return to Arender-ken, reclaim my power from Hachiro, save my sister, and then I'm going to after Shitakarahi and Itachitoko and stop them both."

Jiro looked rather concerned at that. "Eiko…you don't have your powers…"

"…No, I don't." She answered after a moment. "But that didn't stop Akiko from risking her life and everything else to save me. My whole life, Akiko has always wanted me closer to her. She's always loved me no matter how cold and distant I had to be. And I could _never_ be there for her. Even when my parents' died, I couldn't even just hold her while she cried and comforted her. She's given up everything for me and I haven't done the same. The only thing I ever wanted to do as a result of having no powers is to be close to her. And while I realize now that they were a part of me…the one thing I still need to do is be there for Akiko like she was always there for me."

"Your sister _did_ defy all odds and come up here to see you," Takeshi responded. "And things didn't end up too good for her, if you recall. I'm not trying to make you feel bad…I'm trying to tell you like it is. That monster doesn't care for your sympathy or heart or bravery. Those things will only get you so far."

She exhaled, bowing her head and looking to the ground again. "…I know." She slowly answered. She held there for a second, clenching her hands into fists.

Slowly…she pulled herself up and out from the covers, went to her knees, and bowed down and placed her head on the floor before the five of them.

"…That's why I'm begging you to help me. Please…help me save my sister."

The Jido-no-Hogu-sha stared back momentarily, each silent, just staring at this.

Yet after a moment, for once, Takeshi did something unusual. He snickered.

"I don't believe it… 'Help me'. You and your sister have more in common than you think…asking us for help when they mean to say 'please do all the work and let me tag along'…"

"Oh, come on." Nobuyuki chuckled. "Are you about to pooh-pooh one of the few nobles who actually bows to _us_?"

"Hurry up and get your hands and head off the ground, Eiko." Takara said with a smile. "You'll get yourself cold again after all the trouble it took to warm you back up."

The queen, in response, raised her head and blinked in confusion.

"…You…you all are going to help me? Just like that? After everything I did?"

"Like what? Get framed for murder by a wretched little man who sold himself to a demon?" The Ghost Hare answered.

"Defended yourself when you were scared and fighting for your life?" The Jolly Bear added. "Nakamura admitted his men would heal when we first spoke with him."

"And there's no real 'royal edict' against 'causing winter'." Takara added with a shrug. "Sure…you could have hurt or killed a lot of people up here…but unlike that onmyoji and that jerk of a prince, you were never _out_ to hurt anyone."

"I'm surprised you feel we're 'worthy' of serving you, Queen Eiko." Nobuyuki said with a smile. "After we hunted you wrongly for a crime you did not commit."

Satoru gave her a bit of a smile too and jingled.

"He said although we may be ronin," Takeshi explained. "We'll let ourselves be 'underneath' a daimyo just for today."

Eiko was speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Jiro, on his part, gave her a smile.

"They really are great guys, aren't they? Anyway…you _know_ I'm with you, my lady." He answered. "I think I'm still on the 'bad list' as far as the gods are concerned, which means I'll just have to serve you instead. They _did_ dispatch me to 'look after you', after all."

The hime continued to stare, looking over the group, seeing them greeting her with warm smiles in spite of everything she had done, and knowing all about her. It must have been a foreign sensation to her…to reveal the "real her" and find out that others didn't reject her for that but accepted her completely. To have used her power in the worst way and yet to be fully forgiven for it. The woman began to tear up again at this…for once as a gesture of happiness rather than sadness.

Yet before she could even squeeze one out, Jiro came forward and, with the edge of his sleeve, dried them from her eyes.

"Come on…we've got no time for crying." He said with a smile. "You've got to get dressed so we can get moving."

* * *

Eiko was clearly still getting used to "being cold". Even after fully dressing up, she still cringed in the icy wind and kept her head away from it, but she forced herself on and out along with the rest of them. They others dressed themselves as best as they could, both their injuries and with whatever clothing was still intact, and then they went out too, letting Osamu lead the way.

Yet they had barely gone twenty feet outside of the icy shell when they realized this wasn't any good. They were still up high in the mountains, where the air was thin and colder than usual. A raging storm was going, and by now it was nightfall and, between the darkness, cold, and blizzard conditions, it was a white-out. The snow that had melted before had fully fallen again, and they were nearly up to their waists in white powder. Trying to go out in these conditions was a death sentence. Everyone clung together and shivered as they stared hopelessly into the blinding snow. Even Osamu seemed to have a hard time keeping his balance in it now that night had fallen.

"There's no way we can get back to Arender-ken in this!" Takara shouted over the wind as she tried to wedge herself between Nobuyuki and Takeshi for warmth. "Even Nobuyuki will freeze in all of this!"

The Jolly Bear himself had Satoru held over the snow, grabbing him by one arm and suspending his body. Otherwise, he'd have been buried by now. "Unfortunately, I have to agree! The storm only got worse during the night! We have to wait it out!"

"We can't 'wait it out'!" Eiko protested. "If this is like my power, Hachiro doesn't even need to concentrate on it to keep it going! And Akiko can't afford to wait any longer!" She looked to Takeshi. "Can you get us down?"

"I can only teleport into shadows that I can see!" Takeshi retorted. "And then only one person at a time!"

Eiko turned her head. "Jiro?"

"I need to get to a maple tree and rebuild my staff before I can make those slabs we slid down on the other day!" Jiro shouted back. "I'm useless until I get a staff! I can't even fly!"

The queen, getting a little anxious, looked to her side. "…Takara?"

"My wings will snap clean off if I try to fly in this!" The Tooth Dragon shouted back. "I'm struggling not to have my teeth chatter as it is! And I'm not strong enough to hold passengers anyway!"

"Think you can feel a bit more 'wonderful', my lady?" Nobuyuki asked. "I might be able to make something!"

The daimyo shook her head. "No…I'm sorry… All I can think about is Akiko right now!" She blinked. "…Osamu?"

"Sure thing!" He cheered. "Uh…you all only want to go down one at a time, right? And you can see though this, can't you? 'Cause I sure can't."

Takeshi snorted. "Well, ain't this a fine mess! We get out of one icy hell and into another!"

Suddenly, Jiro saw Satoru go into a mild "fit". He and Eiko looked to him, and soon realized he had been trying to say something, but his tingling had been swallowed up by the sound of the snow blowing. He hadn't been able to say a thing. He had to "freak out" to get everyone's attention. But on looking to him, he immediately made some more sounds and movements, enough to get everyone else to look to him.

"What's he saying?" Eiko asked.

"He said he can get us down the mountain and back to Arender-ken safely!" Nobuyuki answered.

The woman lit up. "He can? Then great! Do it!"

"Hold on!" Nobuyuki answered. "I know what he's going to do, and this is a risk!"

The queen looked to him as best as she could through the snow. "What do you mean?"

"Satoru is the oldest of us! His power isn't nearly as good as it used to be!" Takara shouted back. "He's used almost all he had already! And he's too hurt to do much more even now! This move drains yokai like him of almost all of their life force even when they're young! If he does it…he's going to be useless to us for weeks! Maybe months!"

Eiko blinked at that. Jiro was much the same. After all, the frost kami hadn't heard of this power either. He looked to Satoru along with the woman, and he gave a helpless shrug, as if to say "that's how it is". She stared a bit longer, but then exhaled.

"…We'll freeze to death on this mountain otherwise, so we'll just have to do it without him! If Satoru is willing, then alright!" She looked to him. "Are you?"

The small man gave a nod and a jingle.

"He says he's honored!" Nobuyuki shouted back. "…And he said for me to 'put him down already'."

With that, the Jolly Bear turned and placed the Sand Moth on the snow…barely packed enough to keep him from sinking down to his elbows. Yet once down, he wasted little time. He waddled forward as best as he could through the thick snow, which wasn't easy due to the depth…but also due to his injuries. Yet somehow he managed to push through the thick snow enough to get a good distance from them. Shivering and wincing in the cold and snow, he brought both of his hands up. A moment later…he snapped them into the air.

Almost immediately, eruptions of gold, like a shower of sand made of the purest ore, emitted from both of his hands, shot into the air, and blew up into a glorious shower. They shot high into the sky, beating back the snow and wind, and making a fountain of the dust. Yet they didn't immediately form something. They simply sprayed high and forth, and he continued to push more and more out as he did so, spreading it higher and more focused…

Eiko witnessed this, and turned to Jiro. "What is he doing?"

"I don't know…" Jiro quietly answered, not noticing that the gold dust had not only blasted away the wind and snow, but it had also made things "quiet" enough to where they could speak normally again. "I've never seen him do this before…"

"Satoru is literally made out of the 'sand' from the wings of his forebears and ancestors." Takara answered, causing them to look to her. "That's why he's so short. The first of his kind was moth-sized. But every generation they gain a little more and get older. He's nearing the end of his life…only has about 50 years left in him…and when he dies he'll give up his own 'sand' to give birth to the next generation. Right now…he's bringing all of it forth in one shot…literally his own makeup…"

Sure enough, Eiko and Jiro alike soon got a shock as they saw Satoru seem to "erode" before them, his edges starting to wash away, seemingly "pushed out" along with the rest of the sand. Yet even as he began to form, something else began to take shape… The golden shower began to fall and spread out as it did so, at first seeming to just "billow out"…but over time reshaping and falling in just a way to take form. A "big" form…spreading out rather far from its initial point to blanket a large section of the snowy field.

As Satoru's legs vanished and his torso and hair started to fade away, the shape took a new "form", growing body parts in the form of thick sections that looked like a head, thorax, and abdomen. As his torso vanished, legs sprung out and the form gained volume. As his head and shoulder went away, eyes, antenna, "fuzz", and large, beautiful wings began to take shape. Finally, as the palms and fingers of his own hands vanished…designs were traced on the wings and the massive thing began to move.

Satoru's gold dust settled in the proper spot…and what was left behind, seeming to "beat away" the snow and ice and wind from it, was a massive, shimmering, shining, golden moth.

Eiko stared open-mouthed in wonder.

"Wow…impressive… I think he could have done that a bit earlier though…" Jiro remarked.

"He can only do it once and, for that matter, the longer we waste time gaping at it the sooner it gets to where he can't hold that form." Takeshi responded, quickly moving forward. "That means load up now!"

* * *

Soon, they were far above the storm. The air was colder and thinner…but at least it wasn't a billowing storm that was impossible to navigate through. Jiro, who had experienced flight before, knew all about the differences between storm clouds and the ones that were far "higher". Of course…he had never experienced it like this before.

Satoru's final "move" had left them with a large golden moth who "buffeted" the wind around them. Once they were all on board, he rose high into the heavens and then bore them along. It was hard to see anything below with all of the thick clouds dumping inch after inch of snow on the world below, but it seemed as if he knew where they were going now that they were up in the sky with the stars and moon overhead.

Jiro couldn't help but frown a bit now that they were in moonlight. One of the gods he had worked for had been the one for the moon. And, to be honest, he was rather bitter. He had spoken to the other members of the Jido no Hogu-sha. He had been the one to revive them for the sake of protecting children. Then why in the world wouldn't he intervene to help with Eiko? And why was he silent for so long? Letting Jiro continue to wander in the darkness of not knowing?

_Maybe it's because I turned my back on him and the others…_ He thought…but that didn't make him feel any better.

This trip was as frigid as any of the others. Nobuyuki himself was having a hard time bearing with it, but the only one seated in front of him was Osamu, who seemed to be shouting and cheering as they flew along. The other members of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were huddled together and lying low on Satoru's body, save for Nobuyuki. He was making use of his warm body and providing Eiko with both a wind break and something to huddle up against. Jiro had to admit…he felt a bit jealous, even if Eiko was putting her back up against his and they weren't even facing one another, but so long as she was kept warm he didn't mind. He realized where they were going…and she could use all the warmth she could get before they arrived.

A part of him would have preferred if they could find a warm cave or shelter, place Eiko in there, and then barricade the entrance so she couldn't go anywhere. But he realized he didn't have the right. He had let Akiko come along…he owed Eiko the same courtesy. This was her sister. And as much as he loved her and wanted to see her safe…Akiko meant a lot to her too, and he couldn't ask her to "stand aside" for it. Even if he had no idea what Eiko could do other than end up in an icy casket…he would let her come. Besides…she had to get her power back from Hachiro somehow.

_Really doesn't help that we have no idea how to do that…_ Jiro grimaced. _I didn't even know the Frozen Heart could be used like that. I remember they told me if she ever got 'out of control' they would use it again, but I didn't know this would happen…that it could be used to transfer the power to someone else…_

He pushed that thought out of his head. He looked to Eiko instead. He recently got her back…and had his love for her enkindled again. He was scared to death of losing her again as a result…and now she looked more "frail" and weak than ever in this mortal body… At the moment, she was tucked into a ball, the hat and cape she was wearing pulled in close around her. Her eyes were down…and her face was somber.

_I never could stand to see her sad… Maybe that's why I always wanted to have "fun" with her…_

"…Are you warm enough, Eiko?"

She nodded. "…It's not that. I'm just…thinking again."

The frost kami leaned back a bit. After all, the cold wind was nothing to him other than refreshing. "About what?"

"About what happens if we succeed." Eiko answered. She looked down at herself. "…I realize now that those powers are a part of me. I mean…of course they are. I'm not human. I'm a god. For so long I thought they were something external, but…but the truth is ever since my ancestor accepted that power into her, I 'became' the power…and the power 'became' me. And if all that's true…"

She paused.

"…What?"

Eiko exhaled. "If all that's true…maybe I _was_ meant to live the way I did. Far at the ends of the Earth…alone…isolated…"

Jiro reacted to that. "Of course you weren't meant for that! How can you-"

"Jiro." Eiko cut off, looking up to the frost kami. "You've been trying to say that my power is 'beautiful' or 'special' or 'meant for something'…but I really honestly wonder if the only good it can do is defeat Shitakarahi. Do I really _want_ to live after that? What is 'winter'? It's not warm like summer or filled with life like spring or time for harvest and celebration like autumn. It's death, Jiro. It's a season for cold and death. Oh sure…sometimes children bundle up and go out and play in it, but no one poor. No beggar on the street loves the cold or chill of winter. No starving farmer loves the frost and darkness killing their crops. No one enjoys snow breaking in through their roofs or freezing outside or risking frostbite or chill… There's nothing 'good' about winter, Jiro. It's just some unfortunate thing about nature that people have to deal with and they wish they didn't have to. That's why no one loves it. It's not beautiful. It's not 'kind'. It's just hard…cold…and deadly."

However, the frost kami's expression tightened at this. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and took one of Eiko's hands. She blinked a bit from the chill, but then looked up and saw him staring hard at her.

"You forget, Eiko." He stated firmly. "I remember the people who made the pact with Shitakarahi…and right now you're talking just like they did."

The daimyo blinked. "Jiro…"

"It's true that winter is a season for cold and death…and those are things that people think they'd be better without. But that doesn't make winter any less important, any less part of nature, or any less 'beautiful'. Winter 'enables' all the life of the other seasons. If it wasn't for the flooding from snowmelt, lands wouldn't be fertile. If it wasn't for cold and frost causing plants to 'sleep', soil would be exhausted. If it wasn't for wetness, decay, and death killing and rotting away the dead, the remains wouldn't have the opportunity to be 'reborn' by giving life to new plants and animals.

"People hate winter because it brings death…but death is as much a part of life as anything else. The world needs it to sustain life. You need to kill rice plants to get grain, or fish to have meat, or silkworms to get material for clothes. Death isn't something to be 'hated and shunned'. It's something to accept 'gracefully', just like any other 'unfortunate' aspect of nature. Your people never could accept that…just like you, right now, can't accept your power. You can't realize that even in its most terrible aspects there is 'beauty' in winter…even 'goodness' in it. The fact that it allows spring, summer, and autumn to be so wonderful itself makes winter beautiful. And winter is the _only_ season that allows that. That gives it a power above the others."

Eiko's mouth loosened a bit on hearing this. She clearly had never thought of any of this before…but it was sinking in right now. Jiro smiled a bit.

"You know 'your' story, don't you, Eiko? Even if that part was 'embelished' a little…you remember how it went? The 'Yuki no Megami' gave her people the gift of cold…so they would have relief from burning heat. The gift of darkness…so that they could sleep and rest from their labor. And the gift of death…so that one day the toil and pain of life could be done. Just like us...a gang of ronin going out and 'righting wrong'…and all the things we do...you should know that things that look 'monstrous' can really be 'acts of love'."

The daimyo didn't answer. She just stared back silently into Jiro's eyes, listening to this…thinking about what it meant…how Jiro never saw her as something horrible or dark, but something beautiful…

"…What in the world is that?"

The booming voice of the Jolly Bear reminded the two that they weren't alone, which made them both blush a bit, but also caused them to look up. Jiro, without fear of loss of balance, readily stood up on the golden moth. Eiko, on her part, pulled her collar higher to cover her mouth and nose, and then "climbed over" Nobuyuki's backside and looked over his shoulder. Takeshi's ears perked and Takara raised her head.

Through the thick clouds below, constantly dumping more snow on the area, there was something arising from the clouds. It looked like a cruel, jagged mountain peak…sharp and highly tapered. Yet it was also rough and somewhat crystalline. As the golden moth neared, it soon became clear that it was a massive spike of ice, just like a mountaintop…

"What in the world is that?" Takeshi called out.

"I…think it's a mountain of ice…" Takara slowly answered.

"But why would he make a mountain of ice?" Jiro asked. "Just 'flexing his power'?"

"Oh, oh!" Osamu suddenly exclaimed, immediately patting the "head" of the moth with his foot. "Down there! Land there!"

Takara looked up to him. "You think he's at that place, Osamu?"

"Well, he should be." The snowman answered. "I mean, seeing as that _is_ Arender-ken Castle."

Those gathered on the moth froze.

"What…did you say?" Jiro asked.

"I told you he remodeled, didn't I?" Osamu answered with a shrug. "He made it a lot bigger, scarier, and…well…'icier'-looking."

For a moment, everyone was still on the back of the moth. They looked to each other and exchanged uneasy looks. They had heard what Osamu said earlier…but they hadn't honestly thought it was this bad. After a moment, they turned and looked to Eiko.

She held only a moment before speaking, again as a "queen".

"…Take us down there."

* * *

_To be continued..._


	12. Yuki no Megami

The descent soon proved things were worse.

It wasn't just the mountain they had been stranded on. It seemed the entire country was now in the middle of an impossible blizzard, the likes of which none had ever seen or recorded. The darkness alone from the thick overhead clouds made it hard to see as it was, but the heavy snowfall mixed with it to make a total whiteout. None of them could see any people or houses as they descended back through the clouds into the storm…but, to be honest, that was probably a good thing. The only chance anyone had of survival in this darkness, cold, and storm was to stay indoors and keep warm. However, there had already been so many days of the unusual winter… Firewood and fuel had to be depleted...

Eiko herself had to cling to Nobuyuki to withstand the icy gale, but it wasn't long before the yokai were drawing near as well while the great moth descended. Jiro himself could take at least the cold, but the wind and the snow slamming into him made it hard to see. Nevertheless, he alone stood on the moth's head and looked around as best as he could. After all, navigation was nearly impossible for anyone who relied on sight. They had to hope the moth knew what it was doing.

"See anything?" Takara shouted over the gale as she pressed in close to Nobuyuki and Eiko.

"Not anything good!" Jiro shouted back. "A few rooftops here and there! The houses are almost totally buried by snow!"

"So if we don't stop Hachiro, Arender-ken will freeze long before Shitakarahi has a chance to burn it!" Nobuyuki sounded, his voice carrying a bit better due to being so deep.

"This is worse than anything Eiko ever did!" Takeshi shouted. "How is he doing all this when he's inexperienced?"

"Experience has nothing to do with it!" Eiko shouted back. "My power reflects what I'm feeling and my spirit!"

"So since he only wants more power, not to mention he doesn't really care about anyone…" Takara answered, looking uncomfortable. "That means his power is out of control and freezing everything!"

"Hopefully that means he won't be able to really fight _us_!" Jiro shouted back.

Eiko herself nervously looked around, but she couldn't see anything. The snow and cold stung her eyes when she tried. However, Jiro knew she was deeply worried. Before the winter had been bad…but this was a death sentence. No one in town could possibly last until morning. If anyone had been caught out in the whiteout, they were probably already dead. And those in the homes were likely suffering from frostbite, exposure, and every other cold-related illness one could think of. No doubt, irreversible damage to Arender-ken had already been done. Any moment now it might cross "the point of no return"…where even if they managed to win, the country would be doomed. This was especially true in Eiko's case. She was the only one who could undo the winter…but even if they got her power back, her soul was still in chaos and turmoil over everything that had happened. She'd never be able to do it by tomorrow…

_Not to mention…_ Jiro thought rather nervously. _How exactly _are_ we supposed to get her power back?_

Before he could say any more, however, he and the others got a surprise. The snowfall suddenly "leveled off". It didn't cease being a storming gale, but it did lessen and thin out enough to where visibility suddenly increased dramatically. The group snapped forward at that, seeing the land in front of them clear…and just as the great moth came down for a landing near what was left of a large tree protruding from the heavy snowfall.

There was Arender-ken Castle. And just like Osamu had said…it had been "remodeled".

Where before it had arisen from the inlet on a rocky atoll, now peaks of ice arose from it and seemed to "wrap" around it or cling to it as they rose high into the heavens. They were cruel, twisted, and jagged…and transformed the magnificent pagoda into something horrific and monstrous. The bridges were intact although covered with cruel ice shards as well, but that was irrelevant as the ocean had frozen around the castle as well. The place didn't even look like Arender-ken anymore…just some twisted, frozen nightmare. The air was even more biting and cold here with less snow falling. Everyone gave a shiver as the moth came down, save for Jiro and Osamu.

On landing, everyone got up and dismounted the golden moth. No sooner had the last of them stepped off when the creature immediately burst…turning into golden dust once again. The Jido no Hogu-sha and Osamu looked to it as the dust was rapidly swept up and into the wind, blowing around in a fierce spiral, before it went for the tree. On reaching a crook in it, it swept around more tightly and focused, the wind seeming to make it condense and form. It stretched out the ends in long, tapered amounts while focusing a bulge in the center, and it continued to go closer and closer together until it defied the wind itself and compacted. A moment later, it solidified to the sound of one sharp "jingle"…and stopped.

What looked like a golden cocoon was now attached to the tree. It shimmered a bit, even in the darkness and snow, but did nothing else.

"Ooooo!" Osamu exclaimed…before blinking. "Wait…what just happened? Did that moth turn into a big loogie?"

"Satoru's energy is depleted." Takara answered. "He'll have to be reborn again, and it could take days before he hatches from that cocoon." She looked to the others. "Meaning it's just us."

"To be honest, if we can't do this by ourselves, I don't think Satoru would be enough to tip the scales." Nobuyuki answered.

Jiro grimaced, but then looked to Eiko. He soon saw that she had barely noticed Satoru. Instead, her eyes were on the castle, staring at it with more horror and unease than ever. She stood there silently, not even seeming to realize the snow was whipping around her or the cold was still biting.

After a moment, the frost kami advanced. "Eiko…"

"My family's castle… Arender-ken…" She remarked, looking over the palace and all of the cruel ice. She turned her head from one way to another, but all she saw was the blizzard whiting out everything but the palace itself. All she heard was the howling wind. All she felt was the biting cold. "…My power did this…because I was foolish enough to give it away…"

Jiro grimaced. This wasn't helping anything. Eiko was still placing the blame for everything on herself…even now. Her power wasn't even "hers" anymore, and yet she still held herself responsible. This brought even more fears about how they could succeed even if they survived this…

Takeshi looked around a bit, his ears twitching as he gazed at the palace. "Made himself right at home, it seems… At any rate, I'm not hearing anything. Weird…I don't think he has any 'guards' like Eiko did… Think he hasn't figured out how to make them?"

"From what I hear, Eiko did it by 'instinct', so it should be too hard." Jiro answered. "Maybe the thought hadn't occurred to him…"

"Or perhaps he thinks he can deal with any intruder on his own. Remember…" Nobuyuki indicated around. "Even at its worst, Eiko's winters could be 'survived'. Not this… He clearly means to freeze anyone who comes near him… A bit crude, but, in his case, effective. And it might work to our advantage. No sentries."

"Hopefully he's still so full of himself he thinks he doesn't have anything to fear." Takara suggested.

After a moment, Eiko inhaled and shook her head. She took a moment, and then once again took on the "firmer" persona she had earlier.

"Alright…I'm going in right through the front. Alone."

At once, everyone snapped to her.

"What?" Jiro nearly exclaimed.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Osamu nervously asked.

"Very…but this is my fault to begin with." Eiko responded, keeping herself calm and composed. "So I'm willing to take some risk to stop Hachiro."

Jiro frowned. "You haven't forgotten Akiko, right? We need you alive so you can get your power and use it to save her."

"I know that." The queen answered. "I'm thinking ahead. I know what sort of man Hachiro is. He's someone who treats all other people as just tools or pawns for him to use, but he's also someone who needs to feel a sense of superiority. He wasn't just being 'the perfect man' to seduce my sister…he was doing it because he wanted to make himself out to be the perfect ruler of Arender-ken. I noticed how he talked to me…and talked to her. He thinks me and my sister are simple fools who happened to get lucky because our parents died. He wants to 'put us in our place'. That's why he left me to freeze rather than killing me right there. He wanted me to die 'humiliated'. It's sick…but it also might work to our advantage. Assuming he's watching me…he'll let me come in. His focus will be totally on me so he can humiliate me before he kills me."

"Hmm…and while his focus is on you," Takeshi commented. "I take it you want him blind to everything else…like us."

"Exactly." Eiko answered. "There's only one gate in and out of the castle as far as he knows, because the old posthurn gate on the north side of the castle was waterlogged for years and inaccessible. But with the inlet frozen…"

"Heh…we could walk right in, eh?" Nobuyuki chuckled. "Not a bad idea."

"But we still need to find him." Takara answered. "The throne room would be a good bet, I guess, at least for starters…but if he's not there, or even if he is, it might take some time to get to where he's at. Will you be there by then? Or, more importantly, can you 'keep him busy' long enough for us to get there?"

Eiko exhaled, but then nodded. "Somehow I will. Power or no power…" She looked around the castle, and to the whiteout about her. "He did this to Arender-ken…and I love this country and its people too. And he's got my sister. I want to 'settle this' myself."

The Jido no Hogu-sha paused momentarily. They exchanged glances. Yet there was little mistaking the seriousness in Eiko's eyes. This was clearly something she was actually passionate about. More of that "regal air" was coming forth…a nobility like that of a samurai, one that punished the wicked for preying on the weak and helpless, and hated lies and injustice in all forms. In spite of her frail appearance and powerless body…the woman did look determined and resolute in this regard. With that in mind, they accented. Nobuyuki gave a nod.

"Leave it to us, my lady." He turned to the others. "Let us go back into the snowfall and circle around to mask our approach. If even Eiko could not see through her storms, it is reasonable to assume that Hachiro cannot do the same. Especially since he made the snow fall thinner around here."

"Oh! Oh!" Osamu cheered, waving his hand. "What do I do? What do I do?"

Eiko looked to him and, for just a moment, her face softened a little.

"Osamu…find Akiko and bring her to me so I can unfreeze her heart as soon as possible."

He gave a bow at once. "Sure thing!" He turned and immediately took off, running back into the snowfall to obviously follow the same plan as the other Jido no Hogu-sha. It wasn't long before he vanished into the whiteout, in spite of it not being too far from the group. The others soon turned and did the same, slipping into the blizzard one by one…

…All except one individual.

Eiko looked to Jiro with something of a frown. "Go on with the others, Jiro. I said I'm going in alone."

"Oh, no can do." He answered with a smile. "I still need a maple in order to make a new staff, remember? And as I recall…your lovely interior garden has a number of good trees to choose from. I guess that means I'm stuck with you."

The woman hesitated, her sternness fading a bit. "…Jiro, it's too dangerous. I wanted-"

"You're _damn right_ it's too dangerous." Jiro suddenly retorted, his voice suddenly turning sharp and his mirth fading, making Eiko go silent. He stepped closer to her. "Which is exactly why you're not taking a step in Hachiro's direction unless I'm at your side. I already told you…if I'm no longer paired with the gods, that makes me _your_ samurai now…which means I'm going to be by you from now on no matter what you go into, and you're not going to tell me otherwise."

The hime hesitated. She was clearly nervous still…but also, on hearing this, she realized that she was scared to go in herself. This would be the most dangerous thing she had ever done and…frankly…she was a little tired of going everywhere on her own. Now that she felt fully for Jiro as she had in all of her past lives, she realized she wanted him at her side. As dangerous as it was…she wouldn't be scared at all if he was near her. And so, in the end, she softened…and even smiled.

"Let's hurry. I'm not sure how long Akiko has…"

* * *

It didn't take long for them to reach the gates to the castle. They were framed by ice…but the gates were wide open already. Jiro wasn't sure if they had been forced or had been left open and then frozen that way, but he tended to lean toward the latter. For as he and Eiko ran in, he soon made her focus ahead and not look around at several of her guards as well as the shogun's impaled on ice…obviously ones that had tried to mount an offense at some point. But Eiko didn't need to see more death. She didn't need to blame herself for anything else that wasn't her fault…

The gardens beyond the gate were a bit more "pleasant". Sure enough, there were maples growing there. They weren't as heavily buried by snow as everything else was outside the palace, either. Jiro went over to one with a good shaped branch, similar to his old staff, seized it, put a bit of his power into the end to make it brittle, and then snapped it off. He quickly ran back to Eiko afterward and went on.

"So you just need to get a piece of wood from a maple?" She asked.

"No…I've got to put some of my own power into it to make it 'work'…" Jiro stated as she grasped the piece of wood with both hands and concentrated. It wasn't long before a blue glow emanated from his hands and seemed to "seep" into the wood, As it did, Eiko noticed "rough" parts of the staff began to break off, as if freezing from inside was causing them to fracture and fall. "It takes a bit of time…but I've been at it so many years I don't need to 'sit down' and do it…"

Even as he said this, he frowned as he walked along, almost closing his eyes as he came forward. Eiko watched, and saw a glow condensing around the wood as it continued to shape, slowly beginning to look like his old "crook" staff…and yet something still seemed "off". Jiro looked to be straining or struggling with it.

"…Something wrong?" She asked.

"This…is harder…than usual…" He answered, gritting his teeth. "I don't know why… I'm a kami, not a yokai. I should 'bounce back' even faster than them after a little pain…"

The woman began to look uneasy. "…Do you think it's your spirit?"

Hearing that, Jiro paused in his work and opened his eyes wider. A moment later, he started to grimace. Wasn't that just perfect? If his spirit was in turmoil, it would indeed explain why this was so hard. But _why_ would his spirit be in turmoil? Part of the reason he liked playing with children so much is because it kept his spirit light and happy, and enabled him to retain the full measure of his powers. But at that moment…he realized what was going on. Ever since he had found out the truth about himself and Eiko, he had pretty much been continuously worried and stressed. Even his normal smiles and "carefree" attitude was forced.

_That means _I _can't use my power to its full extent either… _He groaned inwardly. _Not starting this off "well"…_

At any rate, the front gates of the castle were open just like the gates. They were wreathed with jagged ice…pointing outward sharp and deadly. However, the two ignored that. They focused on the interior and walked inside.

Aside from a break in the wind, there was no relief in the castle either. As they walked inside, Eiko began to shiver again in spite of her thick clothing. The chill in the air was so deeply cold that no amount of protection could keep you alive for very long if you were mortal. Eiko was "good" for now, but that was yet another reason they were on a "time limit". She also looked around in horror as they entered. Frost and ice lined every wall. Piles of jagged ice had broken walls and floorboards in spots. Deadly icicles hung from the ceiling. And now…some servants were lying among the dead, ice-lined corpses.

It wasn't long before wandering in that Eiko's breath began to get a bit more frantic, her anxiety rising as she looked around the ruined castle and the dead. Jiro picked up on it and, unable to "finish" his staff at present, looked to her in response.

"Eiko…" He started to say.

"This…this is something out of my worst nightmares…" She said, placing her hands to her head and staring out fearfully. "Ever since I first woke up with my room lined with ice…I was afraid this would happen some day… That I'd turn the whole castle into an icy tomb…"

Before she could go any further, Jiro's hand fell on her shoulder. It was enough to shake her out of it, and caused her to look to him. His look wasn't harsh, but it was firm.

"Eiko…remember. It's Hachiro who's doing this…not you."

The woman stared back a moment, her eyes still stricken with fear…before she calmed down. Inhaling deeply, she once again became firm and resolute.

"…Right. Let's keep going."

* * *

In spite of the fact that the ice had reached into the castle itself and was wrecking walls and flooring, the two were still able to navigate easily enough through the frozen halls to the first set of stairs and climb up to the next level. From there they were able to proceed to the next set, and the next after that. Jiro didn't like how quiet it was. The only noise was the howling of the icy wind outside. No sign of any life at all anywhere…not from their quarry or anything else. That had a few bad connotations with it. In one sense, it could mean that the Jido no Hogu-sha could be heard easily when they came in. But more specifically…it meant there couldn't be anything alive in this castle…

Two floors from the top, where the throne room was located, the two approached one of the stairs, before Eiko suddenly turned off to one side.

The frost kami looked to her. "Huh? Eiko, don't we need to go up here?"

"Not yet…" She answered as she kept walking down the new hallway.

Jiro didn't know what was up, but stayed with her. The soon went down that hallway, made a turn, passed through another, and made one last turn. As they went into this one, Jiro slowed in his step, allowing Eiko to get even further ahead.

Like all of the rest of the halls in this building, this was lined with ice and damaged from the winter outside. However, it was clear what this had been before the winter hit…the armory hall.

In that day and age, there was no such thing as "ornamental" weapons and armor. The armor and weapons might have been a bit outdated and not normally used by Eiko's own samurai. These were the suits and weapons of her ancestors, but while they might have been unused, they had been maintained ever since their "day". Eiko herself didn't pause on the older suits. She went straight back to the one erected against the back wall…the one that belonged to her own father. Jiro himself followed after her, but stepped slowly as he did so, maintaining his distance.

When Eiko reached the end and halted, he did as well. He looked and saw that she was standing, facing the suit of armor and the swords directly. She stood silently a moment, before she folded her hands in front of her and dropped into a kneel in reverence. She paused a moment, paying homage to the memory, before she rose again. After that, she reached out for the two swords that were there.

Yet she stopped again at that. This would normally be where she would see her father's katana and wakizashi placed…but only the sheath of the smaller sword was present. She didn't know what this meant…but didn't think about it long. She simply took the larger sword, drew it back, and then began to tie it at her waist.

Jiro wasn't sure what she meant to do with that. Her body was totally ill suited for having learned sword combat. It was far too delicate. And none of the incarnations he had ever known had been talented with a sword before. Still…she seemed to at least know what she was doing as she adjusted the sword at her hip. She wasn't confused at all, but promptly tied it in just the right spot. And he supposed she needed _something_ to defend herself.

"…You were right, Jiro." She spoke after a moment, causing him to look up. "I don't like to admit it…but the truth was my father didn't know how to deal with my power. I guess none of my incarnations ever 'did'… He feared it just like everyone else did…and maybe with good reason. The world was never going to accept me or my abilities. And by teaching me to deny that part of myself I ruined any chance I would have had of having control.

"But my father was still a good and noble man who was nothing like Hachiro…and what he's done here has disgraced his memory and that of my ancestors. I _am_ half-human…which means he's slandered me too. He deserves to die on the blade of my father."

Jiro didn't answer this, but noted just how "serious" Eiko was a moment later when, in spite of the biting cold, she began to strip her extra outer robes so that she could move more "fluidly". She tightened her jaw and didn't let the cold bother her at all as she did so. Once she was fully done, she turned…her face newly firm once again, and nodded.

"Let's go."

* * *

It didn't take much time to get back to the stairs and, once there, to climb them to the next to last level. On the floor above, things were even worse. Here must have been where much of the "external" ice was beginning to encroach into the interior. It covered almost all the walls, making them jagged, cruel, and lined with spikes. The air was even colder here, although Jiro could see that Eiko refused to back down from it even as it started to cover parts of the floor and the icicles hanging from the ceiling grew cold and sharp. It was as if she was forcing her body not to shiver as she led her and Jiro around to the stairs leading up to the final floor.

On his part, Jiro was growing rather frightened. He was struggling to finish the staff, but he couldn't. He just couldn't think any positive thoughts at a time like this. Not when he realized that his true love was walking into certain doom. There was still no plan after this. Even if the others killed him, that still didn't show how they'd get Eiko's power back, what it would mean for Arender-ken and, as a result, Eiko. She was still quite mortal in this raging storm. And Satoru was in the process of being reborn…meaning they were stuck in this frozen, uninhabitable kingdom until they all froze as they nearly had on the mountaintop… Yet Eiko wasn't backing down, and neither was he…

Unfortunately, as they stepped onto the final floor, which was almost entire ice walls now, cruel, jagged, and haphazard…Eiko paused and looked to him.

"…Can you use your new staff?"

The frost kami hesitated at suddenly being put on the spot…but managed a weak smile. "Um…sure."

Eiko didn't look convinced…and she shouldn't have. While the staff looked a lot like his old one at this point, he hadn't properly infused it with his power. If he tried to do much 'major' with it…like his 'beams of cold'…it would likely shatter the staff and leave him powerless. She may not have known that exactly, but his hesitant look was all she needed.

"…Alright." She simply said. "All we need to do is stall, anyway. The posthurn gate leads up to the chambers behind the throne so that the king could escape if necessary. There should be areas where they can move in right behind him and hit him." She exhaled. "…Stabbing someone in the back isn't exactly 'honorable'…but neither is what Hachiro has done to my family and my kingdom."

She looked forward again. At last…they had reached doors. Doors that weren't there before. A huge set of ice, spiked, and positively horrendous looking slabs were mounted before them, placed between them and the actual throne room. Jiro took that to be an encouraging sign that he was there.

"Here we are." She said. "Let's finish this."

The woman walked forward once more, not even bothering to 'steel' herself. For a moment, Jiro realized it. She may have feared herself and her power…but that was all she feared. She held none for Hachiro, in spite of his power. She didn't hesitate on her approach. The frost kami quickly snapped to and went to her side. In a moment, they were there. The frost kami, immune to the ice and cold, moved forward, grabbed the doors, and pushed as hard as he could. They held a bit, and he had to strain a little, but slowly they creaked as they opened up. As soon as they were big enough for them to pass in, they did so.

They only got a couple meters inside before they stopped, both focusing on the rear of the chamber.

This entire chamber looked "foreign" to Jiro. By now, it was nothing but ice and snow. The floor in the back had been slightly elevated to allow whoever was standing there to sit higher. The rest of it, as high ceilinged and magnificent as it had once been, was swapped out in such a way to make it look like nothing more than a cave of ice. This high, one could hear the storm raging all around, battering the sides of the icy fortress. To Jiro's displeasure…a number of openings that normally would have been "clear" for the nobles and attendants to move in through the back were now "iced over". That meant the Jido-no-Hogu-sha couldn't use those… There were still some open…at least, as best as Jiro could see…but he didn't know if they could get to those ones or if they were iced over inside. At any rate, he didn't really have time to focus on that.

They had found him.

He wasn't much different from last time. He had used his power to give himself a new set of Imperial-looking armor, made of ice, naturally, but other than that he was the same sick, twisted parody of Eiko. All traces of the innocent, kind, just noble he had been before were gone. To his disgust, Jiro realized he had actually believed him himself before…but now there was no shade of doubt about his true nature. He could see it in his eyes: angled, cruel, and void of any warmth or love inside them. The look of a man who clearly felt nothing for anyone. He was seated on a cushion of ice in an elevated position, and gave them a dark smile as they entered.

"I'll be honest…I really didn't expect you to make it out of there alive, Eiko." He spoke. "But so much the better. I was thinking about what I might do if you _did_, somehow."

Jiro frowned. "Really? How come you weren't smart enough to make any sentries or guards, then?"

The "Yuki no O" chuckled. "Why exactly would I need any guards or sentries? Only someone too frail and weak to be willing to do what is necessary, such as instantly kill or freeze her opponents, to protect her reign has any need for guards. Only a foolish inept ruler who has been blessed with the power of the gods and chose to run and hide with it. Seriously, you two…you strike me as hypocrites. Why else did you not smash the Frozen Heart years ago for that woman's first incarnation? Why did you merely have it buried deep somewhere and forgotten by her family? Was it not because she was always too pathetic to ever want to wield this power? That she dreamed of giving it away as soon as she had the chance? And now that you have…you want it back?"

"Where's my sister?" Eiko snapped.

Hachiro chuckled, ignoring her as he began to rise. "Now, _I_, on the other hand, know perfectly well how to govern and rule. I've studied it my whole life, after all. Made friends with all the right nobles. Smiled and nodded to all the right members of the peasantry. Learned all the right steps to romance the right noblewomen… I really am the picture of a perfect noble…and now I've just got the 'final touch' to be the greatest in history."

Jiro frowned and nearly advanced…when Eiko suddenly held out her hand to him in a stopping motion, indicating for him to stay back. He turned to her in surprise, but the woman glared fiercely at Hachiro, placing one hand on her sword hilt, underhanded, not to actually draw, and then advanced further.

"How can you honestly call yourself that?" She answered. "Look around you. Look at Arender-ken. By tomorrow morning you'll have killed everyone here and turned this entire land into a frozen waste incapable of supporting anyone but you. I thought you said that you intended to be the 'opposite' of Shitakarahi? That you intended to make a 'wintry' world to have everyone flock to in order to escape the heat?

Hachiro shrugged and smiled as he rose. "What's the matter? Is this not 'wintry' enough for you? I can always make it _colder…_"

Eiko was stunned by that response. To be honest, so was Jiro.

"Your power is totally out of control!" She shot back. "You're freezing everything! Killing everything!"

"Oh, there's you and your silly 'control' again." Hachiro snorted, waving his hand at her. "What a pathetic excuse of a 'god' you are. All this power…and all you worried about was making a few mortals shiver. What's the point of being a living god if you intend to live like a pathetic mortal? Look at the power I have! Look at what I can do without even feeling the slightest strain or exhaustion?" He gestured around. "Look at this magnificent domain! Nothing but ice and snow for miles and miles…and all without my conscious desire! I knew you could bring winter, but _this_? _This_ is how a true Yuki no Kami should build his reign! Wrapping everything in his element! _Remaking_ everything into his element! I have total, absolute dominion over every last thing in my realm! All snow and ice obeys my slightest command and desire! You stupid woman…my power isn't 'out of control'…it's in its true state! Bringing endless, cold winter to everything I desire!"

He looked back to both of them. "You think I honestly care whether or not a few mortals can live here?" He laughed. "They're _mortals!_ They have no place in the domain of a god! And they have no place dictating to him how the world should be! This is _my_ domain! _My_ reign! They'll come here whether they like it or not! Or haven't you seen what even a weakened Shitakarahi can do? They'll have no choice! And when they get here, they'll live according to their god's will, not theirs. If they can't learn to live here…then who cares for them? With a snap of my fingers, I can make all of the people and creatures I desire out of pure ice and snow! Lives that have no purpose other than to serve and obey me! That makes them _better_ than a bunch of weak mortals who constantly need fires and heat to survive!

"You truly are a fool, Eiko. All of this could have been yours. Before Shitakarahi arrived, you could have covered this entire planet in ice and darkness and made all bow down to you…and yet all you could ever think of was being a simpering, weak mortal. You never deserved this power. Not even for a second. It was always destined to be _mine_. No wonder the gods made sure the Frozen Heart survived until today…"

Eiko and Jiro were speechless. The frost kami knew what was happening. Hachiro was already a man with sociopathic tendencies. By getting this power, any remaining "restraint" he might have had that kept him from abandoning morality was totally gone. He no longer cared for 'right' or 'wrong'…simply what brought him power. In a way…he wished Eiko would think harder about this. It wasn't just because her ancestor had humbled herself so many years ago that she was given the Frozen Heart. It was because the gods could see that her heart was pure and selfless. That even if she was blessed with the powers of a god, she would never, _ever_ think of herself as being above her subjects or any other human being. That was the strength of her spirit…to remain pure and noble even when given the power to 'ignore all morals'. By comparison…monsters like Hachiro would only be warped like this.

"You're insane." He stated

"'Sanity' is irrelevant." Hachiro grinned. "After all…_I _decide what's right and wrong from now on. And right now…I'm considering it a sin for anyone to deny my majestic winter. And look…it seems I have two sinners in need of punishment right in front of me."

Eiko grit her teeth, and twisted her arm around to grab her sword hilt. She advanced another step. "You're as much of a demon as Shitakarahi was. Come here and face me!"

Hachiro stared at Eiko a moment, as Jiro moved to her side and readied his staff…and then suddenly kicked his head back and laughed even louder than before, sending a booming, resounding echo throughout the entire chamber. He actually let himself burst out laughing for a while, before wiping his eyes.

"You've _got_ to be joking, you worthless woman!" He laughed. "Look at you! I've never seen anything so miserably stupid in my entire life! Anything so weak and ridiculous! Look at what I did to those men who tried to stop me at the gate, you dumb cow! You think some frail little whore like you can do anything to me with a sword, assuming you even know how to do anything with it in the first place?"

Jiro's own anger was beginning to flare. Hearing this dog call Eiko such vile names…it was making his passion surge and his rage grow. A bit of ice appeared on the end of his crook, turning into a series of deadly knives.

"If I'm such a 'weak woman'," Eiko answered. "Then face me without your powers and with a sword. Show me that you have some shred of pride in you…unless, of course, you're too 'scared of a dumb cow' to actually do so."

Hachiro's smile faded. It turned into a scowl. Slowly, his fists began to tighten.

"…Blasphemy is also a sin."

With that, he swung his hand out…and an icy, sharp wind of hurricane force suddenly launched through the air and slammed into Eiko. She gagged and snapped around it, for it struck her like a blow…before it threw her through the air and smashed into her into the back wall near the ice doors…barely missing hitting her on a spike. She cried out in agony and slammed to the ground, collapsing in a heap a moment later.

"I owe you _nothing_, bitch." Hachiro answered. "To think you'd insult a god by suggesting he actually stoop to your-"

He cut off a moment later as a shard suddenly sliced through his cheek, actually drawing blood. He cried out a moment later and shielded his face, only to get his arm full of razor sharp icicles, drawing more blood in a dozen places. He cried out even louder at that and recoiled…and managed to look to the source. Jiro…eyes wild with rage, teeth clenched in fury, had his staff aimed at him and was blasting him with ice shards as fast as he could make them. Unfortunately…he let his anger get the better of him. Had he held just a bit longer, his surprise attack would have been with ice shards large enough to pierce Hachiro's vitals. Instead, his rage was making him hit him with tiny shards that could only draw blood from the outer skin layer, due to his staff not being "complete". But he didn't notice…and didn't care. His face was flushed with fury.

_"__Don't you touch her!"_

Hachiro, in pain and rather angry as well now, hissed. "Stupid kami…you're _my_ subject now!" He roared as he swung out his other hand. Jiro, blinded to his anger…couldn't move in time as a cloud of white powder rose around him, forming a massive ice "hand" in mid-air that lashed out and seized him. Suddenly, massive, powerful, crushing fingers enveloped his body and clenched inward…and, to his shock, he was suddenly immobilized…and being crushed. It snapped him out of his rage and made him look around, but he only had a moment to curse his foolishness before the hand suddenly hoisted him off the ground and proceeded to swing him forward and smash him hard into the nearest ice wall, enough to fracture it. It immediately did so a second time afterward, driving the kami into more agony and making him cry out as well. After that, the hand swung around and slammed him into the ground. It rapidly spread out as if "half melting", and froze to the floor, immobilizing him much as Eiko's early technique had immobilized the samurai.

Yet no sooner had he landed and the ice crackling died down, than footsteps arose in its wake. Jiro, dizzy, stunned, sore, and to his displeasure, unable to aim the staff in his hand at anything, turned and looked, and saw Eiko was up again. Blood was mottled around her mouth, but she was dashing right for Hachiro, her hand on her sword hilt and ready to draw it as soon as she was in range. As for the corrupted noble, he angrily relaxed and began to pull pieces of ice from his arm, tinted red, when he turned and saw Eiko coming. In response…Jiro saw him grin maliciously. He nearly shouted to watch out, knowing that Hachiro would hit her with another attack in spite of her desperate charge…

But an "attack" he expected never came. Rather, Hachiro made a hand gesture…and a part of the ice wall behind him collapsed.

What was on the other side made Eiko literally halt in her tracks and her determination vanish, replaced by terror.

"No…"

Jiro looked as well…and soon he too reacted in horror.

It was Akiko. Or, to be exact…what was left of her.

She was now a statue of pure ice, curled up on the floor, kneeling and having spent her last breath of life, it seemed, saying a prayer. To be honest…she was beautiful. Finely and perfectly detailed compared to the cruel, haphazard, and erratic ice that Hachiro had made. But she was also clearly in pain and freezing until the final moment…

Eiko's resolve evaporated. Her hands felt to her sides. Had she drawn her sword already, it would have clattered to the ground. She stared silently now, no longer seeing Hachiro. Only seeing the remains of Akiko. Tears slowly began to fill her eyes as her knees buckled…as she looked like she would fall at any moment.

"No…" She said again. She could say nothing else. Her eyes were wide no longer with horror…but misery. They had been too late. She was already gone. Her sister was gone. The woman she loved more than anything…even, in some ways, more than Jiro…she was dead.

Hachiro, however, merely grinned at her pain, and waved his hand at her. Before she could collapse to her knees…her feet and ankles were instantly encased in ice, arresting any mobility she might have had. She didn't even seem to notice as she was restrained. However, he proceeded to "rub salt" into the open wound.

"Here's the only thing you've ever been able to do with your power, Eiko…hurt those you profess to love. This happened a couple hours ago…and I watched every moment of it. Oh, she didn't know, of course. Not by the time her hair had turned white and her body was coated with frost…how her teeth were chattering so loud you almost couldn't hear anything else...she didn't notice _anything_ at that point. She was in great pain, Eiko…oh yes…freezing so hard that she said she could feel her body being 'bit' by the very cold you put in her heart. Yet even until the end….with the last breath of white air that came from her frozen lips…she continued to pray, holding onto the hope that her murderer…" He snickered here. "Oh, I'm sorry, her _sister_ would come to her rescue. Well…it seems like you just managed to let her down one last time before she died at your own hand."

Jiro's rage, if possible, doubled. It wasn't just at how this monster had soullessly let a wonderful woman like Akiko die…an innocent, warm girl who had never hurt anyone and had nothing but love and optimism in her heart, and this demon saw her as nothing but a tool for his amusement and a pawn to be manipulated. Yet what angered him far more was what he was saying to Eiko, knowing that he was doing this to make her misery even worse. He wasn't just an immoral monster…he was a sadist. He tried to call out…an insult…support for Eiko…something…but before he could, he suddenly felt the ice around him "constrict"…making it harder to breathe. The bastard knew he was going to yell out…and kept him from even doing that. He just stood there with that smug look on his face, drinking in Eiko's pain.

And the woman _was_ in pain. In spite of her former resolve, she tried to fall to the ground. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she held the sides of her own head in horror again. Everything was rushing onto her again…all of her worst fears. Her _worst_ fear. In spite of everything that had happened or who had done what…the greatest crime had been done by her. Her sister was the most innocent, wonderful person she had ever known. She held nothing but kindness and love in her heart. She was fiery-tempered and reckless at times…but it was always for the right reasons. The reasons that _everyone_ should have been fiery-tempered and reckless about and would be if they weren't so afraid to be proper or "dare" to do things for those they loved. All she had ever wanted was more attention, to be closer to Eiko…and this was what she had given her. After years and years of swearing she'd never hurt her again, of shaping her whole life to keep her safe…she had murdered her.

Yet before she could think much more…an icy chill suddenly wrapped around her…twice as cold as before. In spite of her best efforts and sadness, as the tears froze to her cheeks and frost began to accumulate on her, she suddenly shrank back and wrapped her arms around herself again. She tried to cringe…and realized she couldn't. Only now did she see her feet and ankles were frozen to the ground…and were rapidly going into pain from being frozen from the outside. Not only that…but the ice soon began to rise up her legs. She looked forward, trembling all over again and her teeth already starting to chatter, and saw the cruel Hachiro aiming a hand at her.

"The power to kill anyone with a single gesture…and what do you do with it?" He laughed. "You spare the inconsequential peasants…and you kill your own sister. Make her die in a way so slowly and horribly I can't even imagine it. And yet, for all of that…for all of your professions of love…all you really have done is brought pain and misery to your people, haven't you, Eiko? Brought them this deadly winter…injured the ones you loved…ran off like the cowardly, inept fool you always were and didn't even know you were freezing them to death…made those guards slice those who tried to help you up…" He laughed aloud. "You're _definitely_ no god, Eiko. Are you sure you aren't just a demon yourself? What good have you ever done anyone in your whole life? What has your stupidity and foolishness ever done for anyone but hurt them? This power isn't a curse, Eiko…_you're_ the curse!"

Too stricken by what had happened to Akiko, Eiko couldn't steel herself against this. She only could feel each word sting like a knife in her heart. Hachiro was right. All she had ever done was bring pain with her power. No wonder…no beauty…just misery. Misery to her people…misery to Jiro…misery to her sister… How was she any better than the monster she had fought all these generations?

Yet even as she sank more into despair and the ice climbed higher on her body, Jiro, his own passion making him struggle violently against the ice…suddenly looked up…and saw shadows coming through the passages behind Hachiro. Three of them, to be exact. They all paused in the tunnels they were emerging from, but were clearly getting ready to attack. He then realized it…they were here. And Hachiro wasn't paying attention. That meant they only needed to stall for a few moments more… He looked back to the demented man, continuing to exert sharp cold and icy blasts over Eiko, continuing to torture her physically and mentally…

When, suddenly, the attack came. Abruptly, jitte extended and out, Takara erupted from her passage and tore straight for Hachiro on one side. From another, Nobuyuki leapt out, having to go back into human form in order to fit, but surging right for Hachiro, meaning clearly to snap his neck or crush his skull, even if he had no weapons on him.

For a moment, the two sailed right for him, almost silently over the sound of the icy gale…

When, in a flash, grinning madly all the way, Hachiro snapped around and aimed his hands at both of them, sending off icy blasts…just like the one that had hit Akiko. Jiro's eyes widened and he tried to shout a warning, but it wouldn't have mattered. A moment later, both Takara and Nobuyuki were hit in the chests with the icy darts and, in spite of their respective speed and power, both of them cried as if they had been stabbed, and stopped cold where they were. Takara dropped to the ground as if she had been swatted, but even the mighty Nobuyuki writhed in pain…and then fell to his knees before collapsing to the ground.

At that very moment…Takeshi jumped out of Hachiro's shadow, his kunai at the ready. But unfortunately, Hachiro had turned around. He had been ready to stab him in the back…and instead found himself appearing in his front. He nearly caught him off guard regardless…but on hearing Takara and Nobuyuki cry out from being struck in the chest, he was distracted and looked to them. He was powerless to react before Hachiro aimed his hand at his own chest and fired…sending an icy blast into it as well. The power of this was enough to snap the rabbit-eared man back and send him falling to the ground too.

Jiro went wide-eyed. None of them were dead…but he realized, in horror, they might as well have been. He knew what that move was…what it had done…

Hachiro only laughed again. "You can't be serious! You thought you could get me with that? You were dealing with a stupid harlot who cowardly didn't want to really hurt you before! Now you're dealing with a true _god!_ Besides…one would think by now you'd realize I know all about 'backstabbing'…"

The frost kami was horrified. He didn't know what to do now. That was their last "trump card"…and Hachiro had eliminated it in moments. Eiko was even more terrified. She had only known the Jido-no-Hogu-sha for a short time and they weren't really her "friends" per say…but she knew they were great and noble warriors with kind hearts in spite of being yokai. Now…she realized they had been sentenced to die just as Akiko had.

"And just to make sure you don't try anything before you freeze…" Hachrio waved his hand, doing something to them.

The three abruptly began to writhe in pain, and clutched for their chests. They moaned in agony, clearly being tortured. Jiro couldn't take this. They were his friends. He would have screamed for him to stop in spite of his own pride…but couldn't make a noise. Instead, Eiko, teeth chattering violently, looked up and struggled to speak.

"L-L-Leave t-t-t-hem alone…"

In response, Hachiro spun around and backhanded Eiko. It would have knocked her to the ground if it wasn't for the ice on her legs.

"Don't dare talk to me again unless spoken to, whore." He snorted, before grinning again. "Besides…what's the matter? Don't you _like_ watching people suffer? You wanted to kill them only a day ago… And now look. They get to die as slowly and horribly as your sister. But until then…I've slipped a little 'real' ice in their hearts. Now all I need to do is think it and I shred them from the inside like a fish. It will be painful…but quick. Unlike _you_ Eiko…who liked to draw out the pain of her subjects… Which is why you're very slowly going to freeze to death right in front of me."

He aimed his hand out for her again, and once more resumed freezing her. Cringing again, both from pain as well as biting cold, the ice climbed over her knees and continued to ascend, more rapidly now. Jiro clenched his teeth…but his anger was fading. It was replaced with misery as he stared at her, unable to do anything again.

_Damn it, Eiko…don't listen to him!_ He thought. _Can't you see it? Can't you see that you're nothing like what this monster says you are? Why can't you? Why can't you tell how much more you are than him? Why are you insulting yourself thinking you're _anything_ like this psychopath?_

"Dogs like you are an insult to Japan." Hachiro went on as he continued to chill her. "The shogun was a fool for not giving your land up to a noble years ago! Due to foolish sentimentality he gave it to a stupid, weak woman! And you, you sickening bitch, all you did was tease men who were greater rulers than you could ever be by refusing to marry them. Clinging to your throne and Arender-ken and acting all high and mighty… It's more than my pleasure to see you put in the place you always deserved to be…the place your father should have put you for being such a arrogant little wench… I almost feel like letting you live long enough for me to _personally_ teach you how to submit to your betters…but the truth is you've always disgusted me in that they gave this great kingdom to some stupid cow…and I'd rather see you beg for mercy with your own last breath…"

"Stop!"

Hachiro hesitated in what he was doing, but only removed one hand from Eiko this time. He turned around, a bit surprised to hear another voice, and was just in time to see Osamu descend from one of the openings. It seemed a bit hard for him. He stumbled a bit, but quickly picked himself back up and rushed right out, the most "defiant" look he could muster on his face. He soon began to rush toward him.

"If you want to hurt Lady Eiko, you've got to go through me!"

The hime, in spite of shivering uncontrollably at this point, the ice moving over her hips and toward her waist, looked out and struggled to tell him to get back. "Osamu…n-n-no…"

Hachiro, on his part, snorted. "Another thing… You could have made any creature you liked, and yet you made this worthless pile of snow. I'm surprised the gods didn't smite you long ago for being such a disgrace, woman…"

Nevertheless, the perfectly-shaped snow "man" balled his hands into fists and continued to charge. "I've heard enough from you! Lady Eiko may make some mistakes but she's the sweetest, kindest woman I ever met! Well…other than Akiko…and I've only ever really met three women…but still! I won't let you badmouth her! Come on!" He held his hands up in fists. "Your ice powers won't work on me! Let's settle this man to man…to…er…snow?"

The corrupted noble looked on at him a moment, then snorted. He began to raise his hand. "What a piece of trash…"

Suddenly finding strength, Eiko cried out. "No! Please!"

It was too late. Hachiro shot out a blast of cold right at Osamu as he stood there, fists up, ready to fight. It sank into his chest in an instant, his eyes passionate, ready to "throw it down"…

And, in an instant, he exploded into snowflakes that blasted throughout the entire room…and then slowly drifted to the ground.

Fresh horror painted the faces of Eiko and Jiro. Even the frost kami was shocked. He knew that Osamu had been alive…a living, sentient creature…which meant that had just been murder. Hachiro had killed before now, but not in front of him. Not anything Jiro had seen before now. And…he had so little care…as if Osamu really was nothing to him but a "pile of snow"…

Eiko, however, could only stare open mouthed in spite of the cold blinding her, in spite of her fresh tears freezing to her face, as she saw the remains of Osamu literally blow through the air about her while it descended.

"Why couldn't you have made something that _deserved_ to live? Not such an annoying creature…" Hachiro sighed. He turned back to her. "Well…I don't see the last one of you trying to stop me…so I guess I'll just have to continue slowly killing you until he comes out and gets what's coming to him too…"

The queen was soon battered by cold again, the ice climbing over her waist. Soon it would start to coat the bottom of her arms, but she was already "icing over" before that. She cringed and trembled from the bitter, stinging cold…but it didn't begin to match how she was feeling on the inside. Misery…wretchedness…seeing nothing but pain being brought by her power…nothing but cold and death…having watched the innocent Osamu just get destroyed like that for trying to defend her…

_Defend me? Why? Why should anyone defend me? This is all my fault! All I do is bring death and misery! All of this winter…it's all _me! _It's all _my_ power! It's because of me that this monster has it now! It's because of me that he's killing everything in Arender-ken! It's because of me Akiko is dead, Osamu is dead, and Jiro is going to die! I'm just a monster! A horrible, murdering, mon-_

Yet even as she said this, her eyes, nearly freezing to the point of blindness, cracked open…and saw something. They looked to where Jiro was on the floor. In spite of her misery, in spite of her thoughts that she had let him down…she still wanted to see him. She still longed for him. Perhaps that was why she looked. And when she looked, she saw him staring back at her through the gently falling snow…

His eyes weren't harsh. They weren't scared. They weren't amorous or desperate. They were merely sad…filled with pity…filled with longing. He mouthed something to her. And in spite of him unable to make any noise, she understood it.

_He knew you loved him._

She looked on at him as he faded from view, as the ice covered her stomach and began to line her lower arms…and thought about that.

_He knew I loved him…_

_ …__I did, didn't I? Why else would I be crying…why else would I be horrified…? Of course I did. He was a person. He might have been a snowman, but he was alive… He was kind and happy and fun… I loved having him around. He was so sweet…just like Akiko… Maybe that's what I had in mind when I made him…that's why I wanted him… But yes…of course I loved him. Just like I loved those samurai. I made them to protect me…but that doesn't mean I saw them as tools… I knew what they were. I knew they had thoughts and feelings and emotions. They weren't just constructs to me. They weren't just "snow". They were living things…and I saw them that way…unlike…_

_Unlike…_

As Eiko thought about this…for the first time in her life, something "clicked" inside of her. Something that Jiro had been trying continuously to tell her but she had blocked out every time. At long last, she let some of it in…and when it did, everything else she had heard…from Jiro…from Akiko…from her life story…it all came rushing in…

Even as the ice coated her lower arms and locked them in place, her legs began to numb, and the very blood in her veins started to still…she grit her teeth to stop chattering, and looked back to Hachiro. The boldness had returned in spite of her weakened, freezing state.

"You're…wrong." She managed to choke out.

Hachiro snickered. "Oh, I'm wrong? About what? If it's about the fact that you're going to slowly freeze to death, rest assured that is going to happen."

As the ice kept climbing upward, Eiko nevertheless remained firm and defiant, and taking a deep breath to steady herself, she forced herself to speak without chattering her teeth.

"I made mistakes, yes. Some of them were horrible. Some of them did a lot of terrible things to others…and even to those I love. But until now…until just now…I always thought that 'defined' me. I always thought that because I kept having these accidents…because I did these horrible things…that it meant that was who I was. That it meant _I _was horrible and terrible…that _I _was a demon. That's why I was so scared of myself. That's why I hid myself away…because I thought I was a monster who could only bring pain to those I love."

Hachiro chuckled. "Really? And you were right, weren't you?"

"No, I wasn't!"

The sudden sharpness of this…the sudden violence of it…was enough to make Hachiro's smile evaporate. Having been "insulted", he removed a hand and reared it back, meaning to slap Eiko again…but found he couldn't. The woman's eyes had suddenly cleared…even of frost…and she was glaring at him with such regal power and fury that even he, the self-proclaimed god, found he couldn't move.

"I owe that to _you_." She continued. "You've shown me the truth at last…what Akiko always saw…what Jiro has been trying to tell me for the past few days… My whole life I thought I was a monster and a devil because of my mistakes. Because of the hurt I caused. I thought that made me horrible and twisted and evil. But it doesn't. It doesn't any more than a blizzard makes winter any less important to spring flooding. It doesn't any more than the old generation of birds freezing and dying so that their bodies can feed the young predators and the new generation has food to live. It doesn't anymore than a cold storm forces people to be indoors so that they can enjoy the fruits of the labor they've worked hard spring through autumn to provide for. I can see that now…"

Hachiro, having "heard enough", brought his other hand forward and increased the ice building…soon covering her lower arms and past her elbows. Yet as her chest began to vanish under an icy coating…Eiko's voice didn't diminish or weaken.

"I see that it doesn't matter if the world sees me as something cruel or horrific or monstrous because that's _not_ what I am! It doesn't matter if the world brands me as a demon if I'm not really one! And I _am_ good…because I am _nothing_ like you! I don't see this world as something to ice over and make 'my domain'! I don't see people as amts to live or die for my amusement! And I don't see innocent creatures that I create as things to just blow away as if they're nothing! I love winter…but I love this world! And I want people to see winter the way _I _see it now! To see that there's good and beauty in it! That there's the potential for life and joy even in the death and gloom that comes with it! That like the rest of nature, there is a side to it that's wonderful and even glorious!"

"Would you shut-up already, you mangy dog?" Hachiro hissed as he increased his power more. Yet as he did…he noticed something.

She wasn't "icing over" faster. As the ice reached her neck…it was going _slower…_

"…What?"

"And even if no one else in the world can see it, it's still there!" Eiko shouted. "Winter _does_ have beauty and majesty to it even if everyone in the world says it doesn't! That's _part_ of it, and it can't be taken away! And me…because _I'm_ winter itself…because I'm winter in a mortal body…that means _I _have beauty in me to! I have the power to make something wonderful! I have the ability to make winter as 'good' as I am! To make it reflect my heart!"

Jiro, hearing all of this, began to lift his head a bit more, in spite of the pain and crushing around him. He was seeing it now…that regal air and "majesty" that had started in Eiko's eyes was lighting up her face. But that wasn't all. Her spirit…it was calming at last. It was becoming "ordered" again. Not only that…but where before it had seemed like it was "torn in half"…to Jiro's amazement it was _regenerating_.

_She's doing it…_

_She's "accepting herself" at last…_

At that point…the ice stopped climbing. It actually started to _recede_.

"What?!" Hachiro exclaimed as he saw this. "That's…impossible! Why aren't you freezing to death?! I'm hitting you with everything! I'm ordering your heart to be impaled by ice! Why aren't you dying?!"

"Because you're ordering _my_ soul to kill me…which is as meaningless as telling yourself to drop down dead, Hachiro." Eiko answered as the ice picked up speed receding from her…exposing her arms again. By now, she wasn't shivering at all anymore. "That power was never yours because _you're_ not a god and you never will be. It's mine. _I _am the Yuki no Megami. I always was…and I always shall be. Winter will always reflect what's in my heart…and my heart only wishes for everyone to be well and see the beauty in it that I can see. And that means I want this hellish blizzard you've made to end…_right now!_"

With that, although there was still some ice left on her hands, Eiko's arms snapped free and shot forward, and grasped Hachiro in the chest. Immediately…icy blue light burst forth from it, and the corrupted noble went rigid, his body stretched out and unable to move. He reacted in shock…but couldn't budge an inch. All he could do was stare as Eiko seemed to dip her hands into his clothes and even flesh, and then tighten her jaw and grit her teeth as she "pulled". To his horror…his clothes became rigid on his body. His pale hair slowly turned dark again, and his skin turned rosy. The deathly chill he had made soon began to pervade him as his body lost its immunity to cold.

"No…no…how could-"

He got no farther as Eiko ripped her arms back…and yanked out the Frozen Heart, filled with the same light as before. Hachiro, now a mortal again, seemed to "erupt" off of her and fly back violently, smashing into the ground, shattering his ice armor and clothes, and sending him sliding. Yet Eiko wasted no time. Immediately, she pressed the Frozen Heart to hers. She didn't cry out. She didn't stiffen. Not this time…for she was merely restoring the missing part of herself. She merely held on as it burst into icy blue light and glowed through her.

At once, her hair turned pale blond again as her pallor turned more wan. The ice around her exploded and turned into thousands of tiny bits of ice…and soon swept around, slicing off every bit of the old clothing and then joining together to form icy "fabric". In moments…she was again clad in a kimono of ice. The light to the Frozen Heart went dim again, once more turning it into a dark ice jewel, as Eiko's powers were fully restored…her spirit not only rebuilding, but now becoming stronger than ever. Blazing more glorious and strong than Jiro had ever seen from her before…

And with that done, her eyes opened, and she looked to the Frozen Heart, still in her hands.

Without hesitation…she snapped it in half. In spite of how solid it looked, in the hands of the true god of winter, it crumbled into shards like brittle ice. The woman was again half-god and half-mortal…forever.

Letting the shards fall, she looked up and stepped forward, getting up on the elevated platform. She looked to the ice statue that had been Akiko. She stared a moment, sadness filling her features…but then made herself firm. Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes…and, as Jiro could tell, bringing forth her spirit and her desires…she held out her hand to her and pointed a finger at the ice.

A moment later…a stream of frost went _away_ from it…right from the chest region of the former princess. Not the way it had come in. Before, it had shot like a cruel dart. Now, it gently trailed away and back to Eiko. Jiro looked up and watched. He had so little experience with this…he wasn't sure if it would matter. If it was already too late for that…

Yet, to his amazement…it seemed it wasn't. He could feel it. Although Eiko seemed to be "drawing something out"…the truth was she was sending something in its place. Not her "power"…but rather the "other" part of her spirit…the part that was filled with love and care and kindness. It went into Akiko…and it resonated with something that he hadn't sensed before, but he could tell now had been there somewhere inside the icy statue…Akiko's own love.

And as the affection the two sisters had for one another united…it was like a dying fire had just had a poker stir it and fresh dry logs thrown on top. It soon began to flare again.

Color, flesh, warmth, and life returned to the chest region of Akiko. And as it did…it rapidly spread from there like a building flame, moving out to the rest of her chest. Down to her shoulder and hips nad up her neck. It traveled out from there over her head, her garments slowly loosening again, her hair hanging down, her joints beginning to fall… By the time Akiko's eyes, bewildered and perhaps confused, yet warm and alive, began to blink in surprise, it was down to her wrists and ankles. Soon it passed over those as well…and the young noblewoman of Arender-ken was fully alive and flesh and blood once again.

She looked around in confusion, before turning to Eiko. She stared a moment…but before any joy or happiness could appear on her face, the older sister went to work again. Immediately, she waved her hand over the other Jido-no-Hogu-sha. At once…the same effect happened to their chests. The "magic" ice in their hearts was drawn out, and the "physical" ice evaporated. All of them calmed, and were soon restored. They looked up, one after another, and soon stared in surprise and amazement. Still not done, Eiko waved her hand over Jiro next. At once, his icy prison was gone, turned into snow that blew away. The frost kami slumped on the ground and panted for a moment…but he also managed to look up to Eiko. His eyes were filled with happiness and joy, and he smiled at her.

Eiko, in spite of what she had to do, smiled back at him for just a moment, before she took a deep breath…the love inside her swelling again…and raised her arms.

At once, the icy winds died. The storm not only over the castle, but all over Arender-ken, came to a halt. The clouds rapidly began to rise and thin out. As they did…something bizarre happened. All of the thick snow that had fallen on the country began to be drawn _upwards_, back toward the heavens they had come from. The cruel ice spikes that filled the country rapidly smoothed as pieces of them broke off and ascended as well. The temperature began to rise rapidly as the snow picked up speed, sending more and more flakes into the heavens. Buildings, walls, and gates groaned as the ice that had stressed and pushed them slowly receded, letting them settle back into place.

The sky began to clear and, with it, the stars and the moon. Light began to shine down in the midst of the "evaporating winter". Homes were slowly exposed again and, after a time, the doors opened, and the citizens of Arender-ken who had been huddled in terror and cold looked out, feeling how warm it was becoming and seeing the winter vanish. The cruel ice spire that had enveloped Arender-ken Castle was destroyed…splitting into huge pieces which, in turn, disintegrated as well. Slowly, the great pagoda was exposed again. The waters of the sea loosened and began to move around the atoll as they were broken again. Flowers and fields were exposed…whatever plants had been "flash frozen" now thawed and able to move again…and grow again.

Above the castle itself, the last bit of snow and ice was slowly drawn upward…and made a great symbol in the sky. Jiro had seen it before in Eiko's palace…a great white snowflake that she had made her "symbol" on the floor of the main chamber. It condensed there, drawing the last bit of ice to it, as the citizens of Arender-ken, seeing the winter over, feeling the warmth of summer, even at night, once again, slowly exited their homes and looked out at the great snowflake hovering there…

And then, in a flash, each spire shot off to the four winds…and was gone, leaving only a starry sky with a glorious moon.

Inside the upper level of the castle, Eiko slowly lowered her arms and exhaled. It was a sigh of relief…not exhaustion. It had been no more difficult for her "physically" to remove the winter than it had been to put it there. The castle was clear now. The throne room back to its original state. The only remaining bits of ice were some fluttering flakes in the room and her dress of ice, which seemed to maintain its own "cold" without needing external influence, just as Jiro didn't need external cold to be cold all the time.

The frost kami himself slowly began to rise, first pulling himself up into a seated position, and then starting to stand. The other members of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha began to do the same. Akiko was already up, marveling at everything that had happened, and the smile on her face growing as she looked to her older sister. Yet as they were still getting up, the megami exhaled.

"…Just one more miracle…"

With that, she closed her eyes and held her hands up again, sweeping them around one more time. An icy wind erupted as a result and turned into a wintry vortex, but it was isolated this time. No one else in the room felt the slightest bit cold from it. The wind gathered the fluttering flakes around the room and brought them back together, condensing them into one "mass" much as Satoru's own golden cocoon had. She traced her fingers around in the air, gathering them a bit longer, shaping and putting them together, until they were bunched in a single spot in front of her.

Exhaling, she raised her other hand and gestured with it at the same time as she cut off her first hand…mouthing a prayer as she did…

At once, the snow came together and "poofed"…

…and, a moment later, the body of Osamu fell down to the ground and collapsed on it. Yet it was even more "defined" than before. Where before he looked like a perfect man made out of snow before…he had changed further. His clothes still looked to be made from snow and ice, but his flesh actually had a "flesh" tone to it, and looked to be skin. His eyes, which were wide open, still gleamed icy and blue, clearly showing his supernatural origin, and his hair was like white patches of snow as well. And yet…he now looked part "human" himself…

Soon after, Osamu blinked…and his chest began to rise and fall. Suddenly, he leaned up and looked around.

"What happened?" He said. "Is this summer?"

Eiko actually let out a noise…a mixture of a laugh and a sigh of relief as she cupped her hands to her mouth. She started to tear up again…but for the first time in a long time, it wasn't tears of sadness. Even Jiro actually stumbled back and leaned against the wall of the chamber, nearly swooning from all that. To be honest…he was amazed. He had never seen any of Eiko's incarnations do that before…but, then again, he had never seen her so wholly "embrace" her nature before…so totally accept herself and her role not only as a destroyer of Shitakarahi…but as the god she was.

He felt like he could run forward and embrace her right then and there, giving her the most passionate kiss she had ever received. And he knew the sentiments were shared. Akiko, her own face lighting up and tears forming in her eyes, took a step forward. Takara's wings began to flutter with delight. Nobuyuki nearly laughed. Even Takeshi was struggling to turn away so no one could see his smile. Yet all of that was interrupted by a groan…and everyone turned and looked.

Hachiro was dressed in soaking wet remains of clothes. It seemed his control over making attire for himself wasn't "flawless". He had only clad himself in ice…not replaced his old clothes with it. He rose now, grunting, staggering, and sore from what had just happened.

No less than twenty different ways to kill Hachiro flooded Jiro's mind. He had just elected to shove the end of his staff down the man's throat and freeze him from the inside out at roughly the same time Osamu reached up and pushed his own had down over his new near-mortal eyes, Nobuyuki's knuckles began to crack on a sound that was like tree timbers, Takeshi looked ready to gut him, Takara herself started to roll up her sleeves, and even Akiko started to quiver in anger. As Hachiro looked up, he seemed to realize what position he was in. As a result, his face tightened…and he reached for his sword, still at his hip.

At that…Eiko suddenly held up a hand and shouted in a commanding voice.

_"__Everyone get back!"_

The voice was so strong, so resonating, and with such an air of authority that it did make everyone halt. They all looked to the woman for a moment. However, her eyes were focused entirely on Hachiro…and they were _not _kind or gentle. Jiro looked to her a moment. He already understood. He knew that if she had wanted to end this "in a snap", she could now…now that Hachiro was just a mortal and she was again a god. But he knew better…that this wasn't about just her power. It was about her own nobility. About how she had been slandered, disgraced, and dishonored.

With that in mind, he looked to the others and gave a nod before stepping back. Reluctantly, the rest of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha did so. Akiko stayed where she was, although she got no closer. Osamu looked up to the woman, but she looked down to him…and gave him just a hint of a smile, reassuring him. Seeing that, the "snow man" gave a nod and a smile back before moving to one side. Now…the floor was clear save for her and Hachiro.

He glared at her a moment. There was some fear in his eyes. Obviously…he realized it would be very, very easy for her to end his life with a wave of her hand. And he was expecting any one of a thousand painful ends at the moment…

Yet before he could fear too much, Elsa merely returned her hand to the hilt of the sword still bound around her waist, which hadn't moved at all as a result of her new clothes. Her own gaze focused squarely on Hachiro.

"Draw your sword." She stated. "I won't strike down an unarmed man."

The noble looked over this for a moment, clearly a bit confused. Yet on seeing Eiko merely stand there, hand on her hilt, he turned his brow. "…What is this? Some sort of trick?"

"No trick." Eiko answered. "I said I would face you without powers. That includes me using any. Just the two of us."

Jiro began to tense up a bit at that, and he wasn't alone…but after a moment, he looked harder at Eiko's resolution. There was no fear in that gaze…and neither was their any sign of naitivity. He didn't know how…but the woman knew exactly what she was doing. Her lack of fear was simply due to there being no reason to be afraid. And so, he looked to the others and gave them a nod…letting them know it would be alright.

Hachiro, on the other hand, grinned and snorted. "Don't get to full of yourself, woman. Just because you have your power back doesn't make you any less of a fool or a weakling in every other regard. You're still nothing without it. And you think I want to risk staining my honor by cutting down a weakling?"

"You already lack _any_ honor whatsoever, you miserable pig. I'd be fully in my rights to have you impaled on a half dozen shards of ice with a snap of my fingers for your crimes and sins, to say nothing of how you have disgraced my family and dishonored my sister." Eiko retorted. "Don't think I'm doing this to preserve _your_ honor…I'm doing it to preserve mine. I want you to know just how inferior you are to me in every way, not just in matters of the heart and my power."

Hachiro looked back a moment, but then scowled as he put his hand on his own sword. "…Gladly." He snorted. "If you want to stupidly allow yourself to be cut down with ease, I won't stop you. My own execution will be a small price to pay to rid the world of a filthy harlot like you, and I'll actually die with a smile on my face. I only wish I could see Shitakarahi turn your precious Arender-ken into a cinder…or look at your face when he burns your sister and your lover to death before your eyes…"

In an instant, his blade was out and at the ready, his own feet shifting into a pose. As for Eiko, her gaze never wavered in the slightest. Very slowly, letting the metal run against metal, she drew her own katana and held it before her. Jiro watched…and noticed the grace with which she wielded it, the fluidity…as if the sword was an extension of her. To be honest…he couldn't believe it. Her body wasn't at all 'formed' for sword combat…and yet…the way she drew it…

_Hachiro…he's a fool…thinking she doesn't know how to use that…_

The noble grinned and snorted. "So you can mimic your 'daddy''s moves rather well. Since I'll spill your blood without ever touching my sword to yours, I'll give you something to ponder as you lie bleeding to death. I can tell right now you've never held a blade before that wasn't for an ornament or a ceremony…because your body is utterly frail with no developed muscles. You aren't scaring me or intimidating me in the slightest."

With that, grinning, Hachiro took off for Eiko, bringing his sword back, meaning to kill her with a single slash from shoulder to hip. He even reared up, smiling all the way as he came in, even eager to watch the hime die…

Yet even as he came…the rest of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha realized there was nothing to fear. Hachiro was the one who was the novice here…leaving himself wide open. And in a split second, they saw Eiko note that he was wide open…and didn't even bother with it. She merely brought her own sword up and around, shifted her legs, and braced herself, right as the slash came down…and held as solid as a rock as his sword collided with hers, bracing it perfectly.

Hachiro was stunned at the speed…but not nearly as stunned as he was a moment later when Eiko, her face not even tightening, twisted the sword out and pressed against his arms and wrist at their least reinforced point, overwhelming him and actually forcing his weapon and arm away. Stunned, he actually staggered back, as Eiko brought her own blade down and around, and twisted and adjusted it into just the right "position" as she advanced on him. Yet even now, to the amazement of the Jido no Hogu-sha…she drew it out. She took her time before slicing upward at him. Although he managed to bring his blade around and intercept…he still staggered back from her hitting him off guard and off center, making him even more unbalanced. And that was when she telegraphed her move intentionally. Not only was she showing off just who was the true master with the blade…not only was she somehow putting out strength that her thin body shouldn't have been capable of…she was actually _toying_ with him.

She advanced after him as he staggered back, bringing her sword forward and down for a vertical chop. Hachiro, more off guard and stunned at her speed, skill, and power than ever, managed to haphazardly cross his blade in front of himself to guard. The swords locked…but, to his surprise, in spite of how much size he had on the woman…_she_ was the one holding firm, which he quivered. He was sweating and shocked now. Eiko, on the other hand, was cold and resolute…looking more fearsome _not_ using her power than she ever had using it.

"Allow me to tell _you_ something, since you didn't learn it in the brief time you had my power." Eiko calmly stated. "The power inside me allows my body to do many things that others can't. I can stay awake as long as I want. I can eat if I wish or live without food. I can be comfortable in the coldest weather and turn an ice sculpture into fabric with a touch. But most of all…"

Her eyes narrowed.

"…I can train for five years following my father's death in how to use a sword with private tutors, and practice four hours a day during a self-imposed exile building all of the muscle strength and memory, and yet still appear to have a delicate body."

With that, the woman shifted her wrists into a disarming move, swung Hachiro's sword down and around, pried it from his grip, and flung it to one side to hard the blade "thunked" into the wall and held there, before Eiko swung her sword out and opened a bloody gash in Hachiro's side, spilling it all over the floor.

The noble's eyes went wide with shock and horror, and he cried out in agony as he immediately lost all strength, falling to his knees. He gripped his bloody side, soaking rapidly into his already wet clothes, and merely drew in on himself…helpless and beaten now.

Jiro had to suppress the urge to applaud…especially since even that cut was intentional. He saw her hold back…purposely not go in deep enough to end his life. Still…she was prolonging his suffering. Or perhaps she wanted him to live knowing how "beaten" he was a bit longer. She glared at Hachiro coldly, watched him writhe and bleed on the ground…right until he raised his head. Then, he immediately clammed up and froze…for her sword was up and pointed right in between his eyes. Her icy glare bore into him.

And the nobleman could only stare…sweat on his brow…fear in his eyes…realizing he was totally beaten by this woman.

She stared silently but a moment longer.

"…I won't be merciful enough to grant you death." She stated. "Not after all you've done. You'll go into the dungeons at the base of this castle. You'll be gnawed on by rats every night and fight off maggots trying to infest your wounds or sores every day. You'll never see the sun again or feel heat or cold or anything but the dankness of those forgotten cells. You'll be granted a mirror so that you'll be able to watch your flawless, handsome features slowly wither, rot and decay…see your hair as it grays and falls out one strand at a time…watch your mouth as you lose one rotted tooth after another…and slowly become so hideous and shriveled that no woman would have you to spit upon you. But most of all…you will live alone in a bleak, forgotten cell and realize that you lost to the very woman you thought so little of. The very 'ugly whore' you ridiculed who treated you like a boy with a bamboo sword in your duel with her and played with you like a cat played with a mouse…and you were utterly helpless and hopeless to do a thing about it."

Her sword slowly passed away from him, but her glare remained.

"Ponder just how 'inferior' you are over the next fifty or sixty years, Lord Hachiro."

With that, she flicked her sword in his face…throwing his own blood into his eyes and blinding him.

"Your blood isn't even worthy of staining my father's blade."

As he recoiled and rubbed at his eyes with one hand, holding his side with the other, Eiko generated a "cloth" of ice in her hand and wiped the sword clean before calmly returning it to its sheath. After doing so, she turned away from him, looking back to Jiro and Osamu, and started to walk toward them. As she did so, she undid her sword from her waist.

"Osamu?"

At once, the snow man stood at attention, and quickly waddled out (still walking that way even with two fully intact legs), and standing at Eiko's side. He quickly dropped into a kneel. "Yes, great megami?"

She looked over him a moment, and then couldn't help but soften and smile. "…Seems every time I meet you I'm giving you a different body. This is the last one, I promise. You'll get to enjoy all the summer you want now…but, first…" She raised her sword to both hands and held it out to him. "Could you please return this to my father's armor set?"

The snow man looked up and eagerly nodded. "Oh yeah! Right away, great megami!" He said as he rushed to take it from her.

However, she withheld it at the last moment. "And…Osamu?"

He paused, and blinked in puzzlement.

"…Eiko will do just fine."

The snow man looked puzzled. "…Eiko will do what just fine?" He answered.

She gave him a look.

"…Oh!" He exclaimed a moment later. "Oh, I get it! Yeah! Sure! Right away gr…er, Eiko!"

He readily accepted the blade, turned, and began to rush off out the exit. Eiko smiled and watched him go a moment, but then looked to Jiro. His smile turned into a grin as he looked back at her. Seeing that, she smiled a bit more as she folded her hands in front of her.

"…You were right about everything." She said after a moment.

"Eh, I usually am." He casually answered as he crossed the staff behind her head and leaned back. "I mean, I _have_ been alive for-_look out!"_

Eiko snapped around…and saw what Jiro had spotted that suddenly made his own face turn to shock. Hachiro had arisen…and there was something in his hand. A throwing knife. It had to have been somewhere concealed in his clothes after he had lost his sword. It turned out while he had been clutching his side…he had actually been going for it and getting it out. And now that he had it, he rose, his eyes filled with murderous intent, and aimed at her back…

When, he suddenly paused, for a delicate female hand landed on his shoulder. He looked to it in confusion…

Before the end of a blade erupted from his chest right before his eyes.

Akiko had moved out to see Eiko now that everything was "alright" again, and, as a result, blocked the view between the Jido no Hogu-sha and the nobleman. She alone had seen Hachiro rise and draw a weapon, and hadn't wasted a second. Earlier, when it had been just her and Hachiro in the palace, she had been too weak and cold earlier to put up any sort of fight, but her nature wouldn't let her "surrender". She had gone into the same armory that Akiko had, looking for a weapon…if not to kill the man with to at least defend her last shred of honor with. Based on what the noble had told her, he feared that he would take her by force. And in spite of her juvenile attitude at times…she wasn't willing to spend the last bit of her life with that disgrace. So she took the smaller sword her father had possessed, the one easier for her to manage, and had hidden it under her thick clothing. Unfortunately, by the time Hachiro had seen her again, when she was waiting in the throne room, she was too cold to lift even something so small, and soon after had frozen…yet hid the blade beneath her robes when they turned to ice with the rest of her.

But when she rose and saw Hachiro doing the same…saw the knife be drawn…she finally found a purpose for the mate to her father's blade. And the nobleman, thinking Akiko was a harmless fool to the end…had only felt her hand on his shoulder before the blade slid in between his ribs and through his chest. After all…her father had kept it very sharp.

Hachiro's eyes were widened in shock, and he slowly looked to one side, quivering, blood oozing from his chest, the life fading from his eyes. Yet still…he saw the fierce face of Akiko lean over his shoulder and glare at him in absolute fury.

"Now you know what it feels like to have your heart split in two."

The man stared silently for a moment longer, his mouth hung open…before he slumped to the ground and went still forever.

The room was silent. Everyone stared at Akiko. The young woman herself looked over Hachiro silently, not moving a muscle. Slowly, she began to breathe again. And when she did…her whole body began to shake and quiver. Her eyes started to tear up. It wasn't out of sadness…but rather the rush of fear that comes after one had just done something desperate as a matter of life or death. She had never wanted to kill a man or woman her entire life…yet just now she had done so to save Akiko. She didn't regret saving her sister, but…the act was so shocking. To see Hachiro lying dead at her feet, his blood spilling on the floor…the blade she had driven into him going through. Like everything in Akiko's life, she had gone into it bold and daring…but had wound up shocked at how serious it had ended up being. She could only stand there and tremble, her breath sounding like she would break into sobs.

Eiko stared open mouthed…realizing how narrowly she had escaped death…but also what had just happened. She too was nearly apoplectic. But in the end, she swallowed and turned around. She walked back up to Akiko, who was still staring at the body of the nobleman. Her own look was pale and her eyes wide. In moments, the older sister was on her and took her hands in her own.

"Akiko." She said softly.

The younger sister looked to the older, as if woken up from a dream. She stared at her a moment, saying nothing, just "easing down". Both looked to each other quietly as the power of the incident slowly passed from their minds. They focused instead on each other…and everything that they had done over the past few days. All of the heartache…all of the trials…all of the sacrifices…and all of the realizations of how much they meant to each other. How much one was willing to do for the other…and how now both were free of the years of isolation, fear and misery. Slowly, Akiko's own hands turned and grasped Eiko's back. But no words were said. The two just continued to stare…seeing how, in the wake of everything that had happened, things were finally over…and they were finally a family again.

When that hit, both young women released, wrapped their arms around each other, and hugged tightly. Both of them broke into crying and began to audibly sob as they pressed so tight one would think they were trying to become one person. Yet in spite of the tears rolling down their cheeks, both of them showed nothing but joy on their faces…happier and more joyful than either had felt in a very, very long time.

None of the others said anything. They just watched. Jiro himself leaned up again and smiled. He knew he could fix his staff now…now that his fears for Eiko had vanished…at least, most had…but he left it some time, smiling at her and waiting for the two to finish. After all…it made him feel happy to see Eiko happy and, in all honesty, he was glad to see Akiko alive. They all were. Takara was practically tearing up, as was Nobuyuki. Takeshi didn't tear…but he didn't hide his smile for once. After a time, Osamu waddled back in.

"Hey Eiko! I took your-"

Immediately, Jiro turned to him and made a "shushing" motion. The snow man blinked in puzzlement, but then saw the girls together. He soon made a knowing look, and then quickly went quiet and waited at the side.

At long last, the girls eased up, although their heads were still resting on the shoulders of the other. Their crying stopped, though, and Akiko sighed.

"It's finally over…"

Hearing this, however, made Eiko's eyes open. Immediately her face turned downcast.

"…I'm sorry, Akiko. It's not. The hard part is just getting started."

* * *

_To be continued..._

AUTHOR'S NOTE: In case it isn't clear, Osamu is no longer a "living snowman". Now that Eiko fully controls her power, she "upgraded" him and actually turned him into a snow kami (spirit). He's not nearly as strong or skilled as Jiro, but he can now approximate a human form with flesh and blood and everything.


	13. The Glorious Winter

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finally, I'm getting out the next chapter. This one is the longest by far so hopefully people understand why it took me two weeks...

* * *

Eiko wasn't sure what the people were thinking right now. No doubt, they were very confused, frightened, and trying to make sense out of everything. She wasn't sure how many people had survived being "unfrozen". Perhaps all…perhaps none…but at least some people were brave enough to return to the pagoda after her "grand thaw". Other townspeople, near the periphery, began to venture inward, curiously looking at the castle and the air itself.

Rumors were already beginning to swirl about, and they only intensified when the few castle servants and officials willing to start moving around in the palace again or the citizens brave enough to look inside saw the hime returned…clad in the most shimmering, perfect ice. She truly did look like a yuki-onna now, and that caused some measure of fear for a time…but after a short while it began to subside. Until now, everyone had suspected that the queen had been behind the winter. The rumor had gone out that this was all her doing, that she was a demon who had wrought this on them through unworldly powers. Yet as they saw her now…some of them began to wonder. Wasn't the queen missing during the time of the winter? And now that it was over…were they not seeing her standing before them again? It caused at least some measure of doubt…

The older sister knew Akiko had "her work cut out for her"…but Eiko was counting on her now to try and make sense of everything that had happened and explain it to Arender-ken in a way to calm everything down and reassure everyone. She realized it might very well be her sister's first act as queen. Eiko had gotten through this alive and was now fully "herself" again…but she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to enjoy that.

After all…only every single one of her past lives died at the hands of Shitakarahi…and things were worse than ever now.

The Jido-no-Hogu-sha knew exactly what to do once they were up and the sisters were reunited…raid what was left of the pantry. While the soup from earlier had strengthened them, they realized they hadn't been much help last time. Fortunately…or perhaps unfortunately…even if Shitakarahi and Itachitoko possessed a way to kill them instantly, they would rely on straight "firepower", literally. It seemed they preferred to revel in their strength…or, perhaps, did not have sufficient power to "focus" it yet. At least they hadn't in the last battle. That might change here. The bottom line: they couldn't afford to be as "useless" as they were with Hachiro. Eiko may have assumed the role of the snow goddess, but she needed all the help she could get.

Jiro thought that himself as he ate whatever he could without stuffing himself, and then rushed back to the hime. Much to his pleasure, now that Eiko had accepted her identity and no longer saw herself as a monster, he was able to finish his staff as his own soul stilled. Still, he had gotten around one fear only to be faced with a greater one. He knew as well as Eiko that they had almost no hope of getting through this alive. The gods were still "frowning" on her, after all…until that damn "riddle" got solved…and the demon had to be stronger than ever after he had at least 12 hours of his power "unrestrained" to grow with…

Still…they couldn't give up. And he refused to give into despair. What more, he was going to intervene again. He wasn't going to try and stop Eiko from doing her duty…and he knew what had happened last time he did…but he was going to try to stop this. Try to help. Try to find a way to keep him gone for good and keep this from repeating itself.

He remembered what he swore to the gods…what price he might have to pay as a result… It might cost him his life.

But so be it.

Somehow, Eiko _would_ survive the battle this time.

Everyone was reassembled within an hour, just as the first few people were getting bold enough to try and come up to the local nobles. That was their cue to go. Eiko met up with the Jido-no-Hogu-sha as they came back from the pantry, and together they moved toward the front gates and into the interior courtyard. Both Osamu and Akiko were behind them the whole time, right up until they emerged out front. At that point, Akiko rushed forward to Eiko's side.

"Can you _please_ reconsider letting me come with you?"

Eiko looked to her, but her stare was firm. "…Akiko, this time, no matter what, you _have_ to stay in Arender-ken. The people need you right now."

"They need _you_ too!" She retorted. "You were always a better noble than I could ever be!"

"I wouldn't sell yourself short, Akiko."

The younger sister looked up and saw Nobuyuki smiling at her.

"After all…you were the only noble who knew your sister was innocent all along, and no matter how much you were pressured, even by the emperor and shogun's men, you refused to stop believing it. I'd say that shows you have more character than most nobles."

Akiko blushed a bit at that, putting some hair behind her ear, but then resumed. "Yes, but-"

"Arender-ken needs a ruler right now." Eiko cut off. "People need someone to bring back order. I want to do it…but this isn't about me or our royal family, Akiko. I'm also the Yuki no Megami. I have another duty in the capitol…something only I can do. So you have to be here now."

The girl hung on. "But-"

Eiko cut her off by making her look more stern this time. It actually made her go silent.

"…I _am_ the daimyo for this region, Akiko…and I'm putting my foot down on this. You are _not_ coming this time. I'm sure you're thinking the moment I turn my back and run off you'll find some way to get there with or without my consent…and I'm not going to try and imprison you this time…but I'm asking you to please just stay here. Because I can't afford to be distracted for even an instant against Shitakarahi. And the first thing…the _very_ first thing he's going to look for…is someone I love to attack so that I leave myself totally open. You won't be 'helping me' by coming, Akiko…you'll be helping _him_. So please…tell me you'll stay behind."

Akiko was silent. The way Eiko talked to her at this point was a mixture of being a loving sister…but also a commanding queen. As the daimyo, all in the province were subject to her will, including her younger sister. She wanted to protest further…but this time, with Eiko looking at her imploringly…not out of personal fear or doubt but out of pure concern…the way she spoke as a commanding woman…she realized this was somewhere she didn't belong, as much as she hated it.

"…Promise you'll come back?" She finally asked.

Eiko's face didn't change.

"…You know I can't make that promise, Akiko. But you coming along wouldn't help me keep it any more than going by myself. There's one thing Hachiro taught us both…the end of the story isn't always 'and they lived happily ever after'. But if I don't stop him and you don't live…either today or in 300 years there'll be no happy ending for _anyone_."

Akiko didn't look terribly comforted by that. Eiko knew it but there was little more she could offer. She didn't want to lie about her chances. In the end, she forced herself to smile a little.

"…But I promise I won't let Shitakarahi win, or Arender-ken fall. Not even death will stop me from doing that."

The younger sister held, but tried to smile just a bit. "…Could you at least promise to try your best not to let it come to that?"

"Even if she won't," Jiro spoke up from nearby, getting the attention of both of them. "I promise I will. Eiko may not promise that she'll come back, Akiko…but _I _promise I'll get her back here. So don't worry."

"We _all_ will." Takara spoke up with a smile. "So there's _really_ no need to worry."

Akiko held a bit longer, but on seeing all of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha smiling back at her and reassuring her, in the end she was able to smile too.

"…Alright. I believe you." She then frowned and pointed. "But I'm going to hold each and every one of you to that."

Osamu leapt and cheered. "Let's get going and save…um…summer, I guess!"

"Sorry, Osamu…but you're staying here and helping Akiko out." Eiko answered.

The "new" snow kami frowned. "But…I'm your last minister left, Lady Eiko."

She smiled at him. "…And I hope you get to minister to me again, Osamu…but too many have died already. Besides, you like Akiko, don't you?"

"Well…yeah…"

"And you'd be willing to help her just like you've been helping me, right?"

"But…Lady Akiko isn't about to face off against a bit scary ball of fire and a guy who looks like an oni…"

The snow hime sighed, trying to think of a way to get around this. Luckily, Jiro stepped forward.

"Alright, Osamu. You can come."

Immediately, the sisters and the Jido-no-Hogu-sha looked to him in surprise, while Osamu gasped in delight. "Really? Yay!"

"But _first_," Jiro interjected. "We need to make sure there's enough food still in the kingdom for everyone after that big winter. So go down to the pantry and count how many grains of rice we have, alright? Then come after us."

"You got it!" Osamu cheered, before turning around and beginning to rush back into the castle. "I'll be done in no time so just hold up for five more minutes!"

As he vanished back in the threshold, Eiko couldn't help but chuckle a bit, and then looked to Akiko. "He's still a bit 'odd looking', but he'll be fine. He can pass for a human now."

"Don't worry…I'm not about to let anyone harass him." Akiko smiled back.

Takeshi exhaled. "…Alright, now that that's all settled, let's get a move on." He said, turning his head back out. "Satoru's not with us, so we've got a long way to go to get to Kyoto…normally at least several days and maybe over a week, and that's on horseback, so…"

He trailed off, his eyes focusing on the horizon. The others soon looked as well.

Far and away, on the edge of the rolling hills and mountains, a red light was glowing.

Akiko turned her head. "…Dawn? But…it's the middle of the night…"

Takara gulped. "…I don't think that's dawn…"

"Or, at the least, a dawn coming from the sun that we all know…" Nobuyuki stated.

"If that's really coming from Kyoto…and we can see it from here…" Eiko exhaled. She paused a moment, and then turned to Jiro. "…I honestly don't remember the scope of Shitakarahi's powers, but…was he always that powerful?"

Jiro grimaced. "…No, and that's what's frightening me. I have no idea what's going on over there but it's safe to say while your power was restrained things got bad…"

"That means we can't afford to waste time getting there. If he did this much in twelve hours Kyoto will be a cinder long before we get there." The Ghost Hare stated. He looked to Nobuyuki. "…Please tell me you got a crystal or two left."

The Jolly Bear shook his head. "It'll take decades to make more, but even if I could it wouldn't get us as far as Kyoto."

The Tooth Dragon shrugged. "Sorry…but I'm not like Satoru. I can't change into a _real_ dragon and carry us all…"

Jiro exhaled and looked to Eiko. "…Alright, 'Yuki no Megami'…time to see if our little lessons together got you to think up more ideas."

The woman paused a moment. She seemed to think over things for a short while, as well as the scope of her powers. Finally, she exhaled. "Well…this isn't terribly 'original'…but I don't think I can create something that can fly yet. I'm not willing to try at this point…"

She held out her hand, extended a finger, and began to trace. An icy wind soon whipped by the group, but it only lasted a bit before it passed, and then formed a large vortex in front of the group. Soon after, it grew in intensity, generating snowflakes from the air, but then split into a series of smaller vortexes. The wind picked up and the snow increased, making more flakes, and then making them come together and condense. Soon after that, they rapidly took shape and formed solid objects, before creating five tremendous foxes, bigger than any horse, made of snow…each one flicking about nine tails. They soon sat and turned to look to the five of them.

"Snow Tenko*…huh…even I can't tell if you made 'the real deal' or just constructs…" Jiro said as he crossed his arms and grinned at them.

"Even I'm not sure…" Eiko answered slowly as she looked them over, the snow foxes calmly staring back and waiting patiently. "At any rate…I made them fast and clever on purpose. They'll take us as far as Kyoto…and then they'll run to the mountains and dwell there. Since these ones are newborns and haven't lived 1,000 years…the other Tenko might consider them 'cheaters' if they try and live among them… They should be able to escape anything Shitakarahi tries to throw at them though…and be faster than any horse or bird, not to mention strong enough to pull even Nobuyuki."

The big man chuckled. "Heh…I used to clonk kitsune on the head who tried to steal my honey when I was younger…but I've long since forgiven and forgotten."

"Well, mischief makers and me always got along just fine." Jiro said as he ran forward, stuck his staff in the ground, used it like a pole vault, and launched himself onto the back of one tenko. The fox seemed to take it calmly enough…and even almost flashed a toothy grin at the frost kami.

The others rapidly got on the backs of their own mounts. They were ice cold to the touch, but their own body heat didn't seem to 'warm them'. Although they looked like they were made out of snow, it was unclear whether or not Eiko had actually made them fully 'real'. At any rate, they did all seem enough like real Tenko. Even with Eiko, their creator, they seemed to merely 'consent' to let her ride. Soon all were on.

"Good luck, everyone." Akiko said. "…I'll see you all real soon." She threw in after a pause.

Eiko looked back to her, hesitating for a long while, but then managed to smile.

"Yeah. Don't worry…this will be over today. I promise."

With that, she looked forward, and the snow fox immediately took off. The others soon left as well, and both Takeshi and Takara cried out as they were nearly flung from the beasts at their sudden surge of speed. Jiro, on his part, leaned in and countered it, and soon marveled at how, in an instant, they were already out the gates and over the bridge, back on solid ground and running through the bulk of Arender-ken. However, in spite of that, he looked ahead to the flaming 'dawn', and thought of Eiko's last phrase to her younger sister…

_One way or another…_ He mentally added.

* * *

Remarkably…the trip couldn't have taken more than two hours.

Jiro hadn't had the luxury of meeting too many full-blooded Tenko in his day. After all, they were far too clever and mysterious to waste time just showing themselves off to anyone, even other yokai…or, he supposed, in his case, kami. However, he was glad to learn that their legendary speed was right on the money. Even with the burly Nobuyuki on one's back, they traveled at a speed that seemed impossible to fathom. He would claim that they were practically "flying"…except that would be a disservice to the speed. Even flight wasn't nearly this potent or quick. It seemed as if they were simply being propelled by the hands of gods themselves. Jiro wasn't sure how many forests, valleys, mountains, or even towns they moved through, but if anything, mortal or immortal, had managed to spot them during this trip, they most certainly would have seen nothing more than a blur.

As they went along, naturally, the sky grew brighter. Far faster than any dawn could. Perhaps it was due partially to the speed of the Tenko…but Jiro knew full well what it really was. After all…he could sense it as they got nearer. The sheer evil…sheer malevolence…of the fire demon. Gradually, the whole sky began to turn light. But it wasn't like midday. Nor was it like a sunny desert or an afternoon light. The sky simply filled with a light like fire. And as it did, the heat began to grow again. Dry, harsh, and oppressive…it seemed the snow foxes were keeping them cool just by allowing them to ride on them.

They actually began to slow toward the end, and Jiro saw why. The country abruptly changed. It turned to ash. Not everywhere…but definitely in a broad, far-ranging path that stretched for miles in either direction. It was only possible to see the limit when a mountain was close enough to look up the side. It looked a lot like a forest fire had come through…and very recently, naturally. He could see the feet of the Tenko getting "ashy" as they brushed past the charred remains of grass and plants. But a bit further…and even those had turned into ash. The "forest fire" slowly became more of a volcanic flow in terms of how much was completely burned…and getting hotter…

At that point, the Tenko halted, stopping abruptly and yet not throwing the riders. At once, they looked behind them and gave a snort.

Eiko looked up to the others. "They're not going any farther. They say the ground and air smells 'off'."

"That goes without saying…" Takeshi grunted as he got off his fox. "It's been stinking of ash for miles…" Soon after getting off, however, he paused on seeing his fox still staring at him. He frowned and grit his teeth as he held a fist in his face. "…Scram, you. Just because I'm a hare yokai doesn't mean you're getting a nibble."

Jiro couldn't help but chuckle as he got off his own. Why not? This was probably the last laugh he was going to get all day. And not just because of what they were headed into. Just setting foot on the ground, which was still rather warm from having been freshly burned, made him feel uneasy. By now, they could start to make out the tips of flames on the horizon. Kyoto wasn't much farther at all…

Nobuyuki sniffed the air himself as he got off. The others soon followed, and the Tenko, not wasting an instant, turned and bolted for it. He made a face. "The scent is not just ash… It reminds me of rice balls…"

Takara looked around her a little, and then bent close to the earth. She brushed away some of the ash and uncovered a burnt stump of what was a reed plant. She frowned and looked up. "A rice paddy. This whole area must have been some of the emperor's fields…or at least those of the citizens of Kyoto."

Eiko looked confused as she turned about. "…Burning rice fields? That doesn't make a whole lot of sense…" She looked to Jiro. "In all of my previous incarnations, Shitakarahi always arose by bursting out of that statue I imprisoned him in, and never before. And you said he was buried under the western edge of Kyoto, right?"

Jiro turned and gave a nod. "Yeah."

"…Has he ever tried to burn rice fields before?"

"Not unless he was burning everything else with it." The Laughing Frost frowned. "And I still don't think he has his body back yet… This is odd. He's never used a proxy or avatar before…and he's never been this slow and deliberate… Something tells me he learned more about how his power works over the last 300 years than simply how to seal yours. I only wish I could figure out what…"

"Figure it out while we move." Takeshi answered, pointing to the horizon again. The group looked and, much to their displeasure, they saw a little more than flames on the horizon. They also saw the tip of a great burning fiery ball…like a second sun.

"I don't think we've got much time left."

* * *

Things swiftly got worse.

It wasn't long before the group was running just to keep from getting "hot feet", and needing both Eiko and Jiro to periodically "cool" the ground to let them keep going. From there, they needed to simply "ice" the path so they wouldn't keep stopping. Blacker and hotter earth emerged, indicating, as they went on, that who had done the deed had progressively gotten stronger. Not only that, but ruins and wreckage began to glow red, and finally began to burn softly…indicating they were getting closer to when the culprit had struck last. There was no sign of life anywhere. And as they went on, the ash became foul and the scent of smoke began to make them cough. Yet all of this was ignored in view of the fact of the giant, burning, red fireball they were nearing. The heat was growing oppressive again…stifling…deadly… And the giant hellish fire was getting larger not just from them getting closer, but from the fact that it was growing… It was already massive. To those who had never gotten a true glimpse or appreciation for the size of the moon, it must have appeared to be that big…but in reality it was nearly the size of a mountain, hovering low in the sky.

It filled Jiro with ever increasing fear as he had to exert more and more of his power to stay cool. He hadn't seen it that big since Shitakarahi first appeared…and Eiko only won that battle due to him being totally unprepared…

Finally, the group came to a hill. They moved to ascend that first. It was fairly steep, and would have provided a good view of the rest of the lay of the land going into Kyoto. They could get a good glimpse of everything that was going on before heading in. With Eiko still in the lead and Jiro close behind, they rushed up the mound and straight to the top, right to a rather steep scarp leading back down below and then to the city spread far and wide, filling the valley as far as the eye could see.

And from here, they could see the full measure of the wrath of the demon.

A sixth of the city was already burned to the ground or burning. It was clearly the result of a path having been "blazed". Once could tell from the literal "path" of the fire and how it fanned out from there. Intense blazes and smoke billowed to the sky. The sounds of screaming and crying out were everywhere, echoing all through the valley. Far above, hovering over what looked like the main castle, the giant flaming sun raged with such heat that even from here, with the right gust of wind, the group felt they'd be singed. Yet it consented itself to simply shoot out blasts of fire every now and then, setting a locale on fire. If the people were lucky enough, the rays would only obliterate a house. If not, the streams of fire would race through a street and set a whole line of houses partially ablaze. With the horrendous heat, there was no water anywhere left to put out any of the fires. People had to abandon their homes and flee…risking succumbing to the smoke, heat, or more fire coming from the hellish sun. Many of them fell…while others were fleeing in such droves that one could see crowds of people running down streets.

The worst was centered around the "path". There were several "hot spots" along it, where the flames and destruction spread farther than normal. Seeing this, Jiro realized those had to be "battle sites". He knew there were standard defenses within Kyoto to hold off invading armies. Five of those lines of defense had been broken, but there were only three large orbs indicating a battle. He realized the army had to withdraw for the latter two. By now, the shogun himself had to be present in court, along with his greatest and most noble samurai. The fact that they had retreated meant that the first three battles had been straight up massacres, with no one even leaving hope of defeating Itachitoko. Otherwise the men would have died rather than surrender in the second two. They had to be falling back to the central palace. The emperor may have only been a figurehead, but he was a symbol for the nation of Japan. The shogun wouldn't let him die…and would likely die in the process of trying to protect him.

Even far below them, near the base of the valley, they could see families, and even soldiers, fleeing as fast as they could…none of them realizing there was no escape. They were all too panicked to even look up at those on the hill. To be honest, the group was having a hard time not staring at the devastation themselves.

"It's…it's horrible…" Takara murmured.

"I knew that thing was a demon, but this…" Takeshi grunted as he shook his head. He looked to Jiro. "…This doesn't even make any sense. That big ball of fire isn't anywhere near the west edge of Kyoto. It's just hovering right over the castle and frying anything that strikes its fancy. I mean…look at that!" He pointed out. "It could turn the castle into a cinder in ten seconds, but it's just burning the people! It's letting Itachitoko march up to it on foot and roast everything he can in the process!"

"This is…almost mindless…" Nobuyuki added, gesturing out around. "Look! Spots of ash and fire there…there…and there…all external to the town. Rice fields."

"He's trying to starve everyone…" Takara suggested.

"No." Eiko firmly answered, causing everyone to look back to her. "I may not remember Shitakarahi, but if he wanted the people to starve then the first thing he would do is return to full power and then bake every crop in Japan to death and boil every lake to kill the fish, based on what Jiro told me."

"She's right." Jiro answered. "He did that on purpose…struck them first… But why?"

"Terrorism, perhaps?" Takeshi asked. "Fill the people with fear and panic? Let them think even if they win they're in for a long, hard rest of the year?"

Nobuyuki crossed his arms. "Odd that he would resort to terrorism when he possesses enough power to defeat any mortal army…"

"At any rate, we can't waste a second longer. The entire army can't stand against that man, let alone the demon." Eiko answered. "Let's head down there and-"

"Look out!" Jiro suddenly cut off.

And with good reason. Abruptly, a section of the tremendous sun gleamed…before one of the deadly fiery rays headed straight for the five of them. Although they were still well outside the city limits, the shot was aimed right for their location, meaning to strike right in the center…at Eiko herself. Shocked, the woman quickly brought both of her hands up, and summoned forth an icy gale so sharp and frigid that it nearly choked the three non-cold-based individuals among them, but as they cringed and headed back, they didn't dispute it as the tremendous beam, easily large and hot enough to incinerate them all in an instant, slammed against the area of cold that Eiko generated.

"AH!"

Instantly, the woman shouted and dropped to one knee as her construct, barely having time to condense into wintry energy, suddenly buckled inward and nearly shattered. The deadly heat surged in so much that everyone could almost feel their hair start to burn, and for a moment thought this was it. It was only because Eiko bit down, grit her teeth, and forced forth the full power she possessed that she held it…but even then it pushed harder and tried to get in deeper and finish the job. She strained, quivered, and buckled…but she kept her hands up and kept focusing, generating more and more cold energy both to try and spare everyone around her from burning as well as to force the attack back…yet for all of her power she put forth and drew out…the beam wasn't repelled…

Yet finally, after a few deadly seconds, the beam cut off of its own accord. The moment it did, and the cool feeling from Eiko's power washed over them, she exhaled, dropped her hands…and collapsed to the ground.

The Jido-no-Hogu-sha quickly began to rise, but Jiro was first as he gaped at her. "Eiko!"

In a moment, the frost kami was at her side…already his heart aching with a horrible fear that it had happened just as quickly and abruptly as before…but on reaching her, she moaned and stirred. She was already trembling, as if she had strained her muscles to the limit, and she looked sore and drained. Worse than that…she winced as she held her hands up. Jiro looked to them…and, to his shock, they were blistered.

"Ow…" She slowly moaned as the others arose. Seeing her in this state, they soon surrounded her as well.

"Your hands…" Takara spoke anxiously.

Takeshi looked back up into the sky, still seeing the heat ray "retreat". He sneered. "Damnit. You'll have to put everything you got into this from the get-go, Eiko. If that little ray of fire from that big ball of death did that to you…"

"She _was_ using everything she had." Jiro cut off.

Takeshi turned to him in stunned surprise, but Jiro merely put his hands around Eiko and drew her up. She moaned one more time, and then shook her head.

"I…I'll get used to it…just in a few minutes…" She stated slowly. She managed a weak smile. "I mean…compared to my past lives…this is nothing, right?"

Jiro kept his frown and looked up to the others. "That _wasn't_ comparable to her past lives. A little flare like that would have to be narrowed and focused to hit her in the past. This time that spread out shot alone nearly overwhelmed her. I don't know how it happened…but Shitakarahi is stronger than ever."

Nobuyuki grimaced in response. "Do you mean to say that the heat he tried to attack us with just now wasn't anywhere near as strong as he could be?"

Eiko looked up to Jiro, growing more tense on hearing all of this, fear starting to creep into her. It was obvious from the frost beginning to collect on the ground around her. As for the frost kami…Jiro paused for a while, but finally exhaled and nodded.

The Jolly Bear frowned. "…In that case, what just happened was him 'toying' with us." He grunted, looking back out to the flaming sphere. "I'm not sure if he can see everything from that sort of orb…but he at least was expecting us to come here, and he could see us when we got here. He targeted us on purpose…with an attack designed to show us how little we are compared to him."

The group was silent on hearing that. They all looked to one another. Jiro himself lost his "angry" expression…and began to look fearful. He had never expected this…had never thought something so simple could give Shitakarahi so much power. With this much at his beck and call…even the Yuki no Megami couldn't stop him anymore. She always "won" by discharging all of her life force into raw power at him after taking a fatal blow…but now…he realized that wouldn't be nearly enough. Not against this power he could sense as well as had experienced firsthand. What could be done?

After a while, Eiko exhaled, and then began to push up and off of Jiro. He looked to her, even as his mind continued to work, and the others did too.

As for Eiko, she winced her blistered hands once more, and then looked forward to the city.

"…Everyone else stay back." She flatly said. "After all…this is between me and him anyway."

She began to step forward.

"And just what do you plan to do about him, your highness?" Takeshi called out.

"Stop him or die trying." She answered without turning.

"No, Eiko! This is crazy!" Takara shouted. "You'll be killed!"

Eiko stopped walking at that. However, she didn't turn around. She slowly exhaled. Even as she did, far below, at the base of the hill, the first group of escapees reached them. They soon ran right on by, not even looking up, but Eiko looked down to them and sighed.

"…Then history will just repeat itself forever, I guess." She slowly answered.

Nobuyuki took a step forward and fixed a solid look on her. "Jiro said it himself, Eiko. He's stronger this time. You might die for nothing."

"I'll die for nothing if I stay back." Eiko answered. She gestured around. "Look…look all around you. You see the people fleeing for their lives but there's nowhere to go. All of Japan is going to become a volcanic hell. Maybe all of the _world_. People are dying every minute we stay back. If I can even weaken him…stall him for even a few days…it's a few days more of life that these people will have…that _you_ all will have…and days that only _I _can give to anyone. I'd say that's worth my death."

Jiro stared anxiously at her…realizing what she was saying…realizing what this meant. At once…pain began to flow into him…the memory of things he had felt many times before and feared each and every time he would feel again. He began to rise. "Eiko…you can't-"

"Jiro."

Cut off, the frost kami stood still. Slowly, the woman turned and looked to them at last…looked to him.

She was smiling softly…and tears were running down her cheeks.

"…It was never meant to be. Not then. Not now. Not ever." She slowly said. "…I'm sorry."

It felt like a knife in the heart. Jiro was cut to the quick…thinking he had just seen her survive one horror only to let fate repeat itself once more. He raised his hand to speak…just as Eiko turned to leave…

When a noise rang by them…a scream. This was enough to shake Jiro out of his funk as well as distract Eiko, and they, along with the Jido-no-Hogu-sha, turned and looked down to the ground. They saw one of the townspeople fleeing the burning city, herding two children along, looking up and screaming.

"It's a yuki-onna! A demon!" She shouted on seeing her. "We've escaped a flaming hell just to run into a frozen one! It's the end!" She soon grabbed her children more fiercely and ran on.

Takeshi's teeth clenched, and he actually looked enraged as he went for his kunai. "Ungrateful human… This woman is about to give her life for her and her brats and this is how-!"

"Takeshi…let it go…" Takara began to shush, running into him and grabbing his arm before he did anything he would regret.

Jiro, however, heard this…and looked to Eiko. For a moment…he saw the "old her" return, her face slumping, unhappiness and feelings of being hated and unloved flood her…

And then…for the first time in thousands of years…it began to click.

The frost kami looked up, back to the city. Back to all of the individual fires. Back to Itachitoko's stomping into the central capitol. Back to the people screaming and running, each one stricken with fear…and more than fear. Despair. Hopelessness. Dread. Feeling nothing but panic and terror…

But not just that…

Everything the Jido-no-Hogu-sha could do…the secret to their power…

_…__That's how._

_That's what they meant by telling me they had to 'break the pact'._

_I get it…I get it!_

Eiko sighed, and turned to move off again…but didn't get a step before Jiro advanced on her and stopped her with a firm hand to her shoulder.

"Wait!"

The woman exhaled and tiredly looked to her. "Jiro, I'm sorry…but this is how-"

"Quiet and listen!" He cut off, so sharp Eiko immediately did so. "I know how to beat him…for good!"

At once, the woman's mouth loosened. The others immediately went in as well. As for Jiro, he began to smile as he looked back to them.

"They told me that this wouldn't end until humanity 'broke the pact'…and I get it! I get why he keeps coming back! Why Eiko has to keep being reborn to stop him again and again!" He pointed at her. "_Eiko_ was the only one who never 'agreed to the deal' in the first place! Thousands of years ago, she was the only human in her tribe that wouldn't make the deal! She let her people make it, but she wouldn't! _That's_ why the gods listened to her! That's why they gave her the power to defeat him…because she begged them on behalf of the people! But none of them ever 'repented'! They never went before the gods and said they were wrong to shun winter in favor of eternal summer! And that was part of the deal! To this day, everyone…" He gestured around to the people below as well as the city. "Everywhere…they all still think winter brings nothing but death and misery and summer is the time for life and happiness!"

"But what does that have to do with 'the pact'?" Takara asked. "None of these humans worship Shitakarahi…"

"They don't have to do it 'directly'." Jiro answered. "They do it by continuing to hate winter! Look! You saw it yourself! They call Eiko a monster even to this day even though she was given her power for the purpose of _helping_ them! He has to be getting energy from every human that ever cursed winter and made offerings for a longer summer… Even if those offerings were made to 'benevolent' gods and spirits, he still 'gets something' out of it…"

Takeshi scowled. "That doesn't make any sense! He's been doing this for millennia! He'd be stronger than ever from that…"

"No…" Jiro answered with a head shake. "No…because he's only been using _that_ power to free himself from imprisonment… He must get only a small amount from that. Where he's getting his power _now_ is from what he's been doing ever since he start 'meddling' with all of us. All of this." He gestured again. "Think…why did he cause me to forget who I am, but still brought me out to meet with her? So that Eiko would grow up in total fear her entire life, would meet me, pair with me, and then we'd get into that fight like we did on the mountain and make us afraid that we would lose each other! So that she would make a winter in the middle of summer that would make everyone hate and fear it more than ever! So that he could get a proxy in the form of Itachitoko and have him slowly burn up the city bit by bit and drive out the emperor and the shogun! You get it?"

Eiko lowered her head and thought a moment. The others likewise paused, thinking about all of what Jiro said. Yet after a moment, Nobuyuki raised his head.

"…Fear." He stated gravely. "He's feeding off of fear."

"Not just fear." Takara added. "Despair…hopelessness…desperation…"

Eiko raised her own head. "…Because I always stopped him as soon as he awakened, he never had a chance to generate fear and dread…he always was 'underpowered'…"

"Now he's made thousands 'fear and hate winter'." Jiro went on. "And by doing so…he's made himself stronger and Eiko weaker. I know what we have to do in order to beat him for good…to make Eiko strong enough to surpass him. We have to get people to 'embrace' winter…to wish for it as much as they'd wish for any other season…to love it as a part of the natural order."

Eiko grimaced on hearing that. "…That's impossible, Jiro. We can't make everyone in the world 'love winter'…especially not now…"

"And we don't have to!" Jiro said with growing enthusiasm. "Eiko…you're a _god!_ He's just a demon who's siphoning off 'leftover praise'! You can make far more use out of it! We just have to get people's spirits up! We have to get them to feel positive energy! To make them forget the despair the demon is bringing and give them hope! Happiness! Fun!"

"How on earth are we supposed to do that?!" Takeshi nearly shouted. "Especially now!"

Jiro merely turned to the Ghost Hare and smiled. He said nothing else. However, as Takeshi looked to him…he slowly began to understand. Takara and Nobuyuki did so as well. The Tooth Dragon blinked, but then smiled a bit as she began to flutter in the air.

"…I get it. This _could_ work. I mean…our power comes from positive energy…then that means that Eiko's might too…and it might weaken his…"

"Heh…never thought my greatest battle would rely on making people happy…" Nobuyuki chuckled as he rubbed his beard.

Eiko, however, looked to Jiro…traces of hope in her eyes. "…Do you really think so, Jiro? I mean…it sounds almost as childish as a children's story…but are you trying to say that just by making people 'happy' and getting them to see me as something 'good'…I can beat him?"

The frost kami turned to her, still smiling.

"…Maybe the gods _didn't_ abandon me." He said. "Maybe they made sure I'd fall in with the Jido-no-Hogu-sha on purpose…right for today."

The snow queen paused a bit longer. But on seeing Jiro smile back at her, his own fear having ebbed, and seeing the other members of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha, even Takeshi, start to smile and look confident…it began to bleed over onto her as well. She actually began to smile too.

"…It beats me sacrificing myself for nothing." She stated. "I'm with you. What should we do?"

"First…stay on the edge of town." Jiro answered. "Start making the most 'pleasant' heavy snowfall you can. Make sure it's as 'pretty' and 'soft' as you can. Use it to cool off the city and start putting out the fires on the exterior. Then start walking in…smiling…happy…something that no one would mistake for a 'yuki-onna'." He looked to the other three. "As for you guys…start doing what you do best and getting people's spirits up."

"What about Itachitoko?" Takeshi spoke up. "I hear what you're saying, Jiro…and, to me, that means Shitakarahi had that withered old weasel stomp into town to spread as much fear and panic as he can. And offing both the emperor and the shogun would do a lot of that…"

"I know." Jiro answered, then grinned. "That's why I'm going to go defeat him right now."

This caused no shortage of surprises, as the young man whistled and began to run to the edge of the scarp, intending to jump off and head to the city.

"Jiro, you can't!" Eiko called out. "You'll be killed! You couldn't beat him before and he might be stronger too right now!"

As the frost kami got up his staff, ready to "ride" it into the city, he paused and looked back…still smiling.

"He only beat me because he made me forget 'what I do best' for a moment. Right now…I'm totally in my element." He answered. "…Trust me. I've got this in the bag."

* * *

Not far from the city periphery, some of the "late arrivals" from the edge of town, the ones who had seen fire and heard screaming without knowing the cause, began to come down the street. There was no adult among this lot…nor was there a single stitch of new clothing. Rather, this was a gang of "urchin" children, sons and daughters of poor families or poor soldiers who had died and left them orphans to make whatever living they could off of scraps and charity within Kyoto, and often hiding to avoid the wrathful gaze of the guards of the city who didn't want them "littering the streets". Living among ruins and abandoned houses, or gutters and public works, they had nothing and nowhere to go save the streets…and now even those were being taken from them when fire burst forth down the alleyways and flushed them out like "human rats".

Now it was every child for himself or herself. They ran down the main roads as fast as they could along with the rest of the citizenry. But many were hungry and sick, and the heat was so oppressive that many had faltered and stumbled. A few had older friends or family members to support them, but many were left to "sink or swim"…or, perhaps, in this case, "fry or fly". None of the "loners" could afford to look out for anyone else. They were too stricken with fear and panic. They only had themselves to rely on most of their lives, after all, and now they were the only ones who could get them away from the hellish sphere breaking over the city, covering everything with fiery light and horrendous heat…

Then, suddenly, while running…darkness swept over them.

At once, the children halted in their tracks. Not out of confusion or relief…but more fear. They thought it meant some colossal abomination was casting its shadow over them and ready to eat them. Yet as they looked up…they were amazed to see thick, dark clouds falling over the heavens instead, quickly blotting out the area of the fiery sky over them. For a moment, they wondered if this was smoke or more devilry…yet at the same time felt a cool, refreshing breeze blow over them, brushing back the horrendous heat. Feeling that immediately made them relax at least somewhat. Even if this was more doom…it was better than being fried by that demon sun.

The temperature dropped quickly after that. In truth, it dipped to below freezing, and puffs of white mist began to come out of the mouths of the children. But they had been running so hard and dealt with such horrible heat…it was welcome. And it made them pay a bit more attention and put their fear off a bit longer…

Soon after…it came. Heavy snowfall began to come down, thick in a cloud of fluttering white. It wasn't coming down "quickly", like a blizzard would…but in no time at all the air was thick with flakes. Big 'poofy' ones, like lazy white bees, rather than the type that was finer and would layer quicker. This kind was more of an 'insulator' even as it fell. As sharp and cold as it had turned, this was 'easier', and not as bad as normal. Soon it landed and began to gather on the ground…and gather quickly. More quickly than it should have. In only a minute there was already an inch on the ground, and in two minutes there was another.

The street urchins were stunned. They looked around confused at this sudden change in weather…not realizing what it was doing. The thick snowfall was not all over Kyoto…only on the edge right now…but the end result was to fall so thick that it blocked out any view of the horrendous heat and horrible flaming sun. It actually turned the evil day back into night. But it did more than that. Once that was blotted out…it filled the air with a "new" light. The snowflakes, big, poofy, and white as they were…were also acting like millions and millions of tiny mirrors, and were reflecting rays of white light around in them like a magnificent prismatic display. To the surprise of the urchins, the world was soon filled with white and blue light…and as they looked up they saw a sky, a world filled with nothing but dazzling white flakes. And in spite of the cold, which was still a welcome relief from the heat, they were in awe.

Being orphans, winter was normally a bitter, miserable time for these children. Living on the street desperate to find places to keep warm and dry, suffering from a lack of travelers with money and food to spare, they normally feared and hated it. However…that was before they had been subjected to this horrendous, flaming nightmare. The heavy gentle snow wasn't harsh or "cruel" this time…but merely gently falling and filling the world with beauty and even "magic". As it covered the blackened, dried out streets with fresh snow, and the fires beneath it began to be smothered by the white curtain…it actually seemed pleasant…even beautiful…

"Hey there!"

The children turned and looked, and were a bit surprised at what they saw. A rather tall, burly man, bearded and looking rough, was at the top of a short hill just on the outskirts of town, just visible within this "region" of snow. He waved to them, and then immediately leapt down on his back, and with a merry shout let himself slide down the hill, running down on the snow. Once he was at the bottom, however, he perked up and waved.

"Where are you all running to?" He shouted. "There's nothing to fear! The Yuki no Megami has come to deliver this city!"

The children blinked in response to this, all of them looking rather confused. After all…no one in Kyoto or in the rest of Japan had ever heard of a 'Yuki no Megami'. And in light of what had just happened to the city, as well as this sudden change, they were more confused and anxious than anything else. However, in spite of the large and imposing figure of the man…the way he laughed and smiled, the warm and jovial air about him…combined with the almost 'magic' snow whirling around them…their fears did not return. In fact, they ebbed a bit.

"There is magic in the air!" The big man continued, holding his hands out and laughing as he swirled around. "Can't you feel it? Look to the sky! Let the wonder of this snowfall fill you! Then watch as great things happen!"

A few of the children still looked tense. They uneasily looked to one another. Others actually drew back, nervous about this man, wondering who or what he was and what he meant. However…there were a few children among them who did not. Some of the younger ones. One, in particular, looked to the sky as told. He stared at the falling snow…and watched as it didn't seem completely "random", but beautiful and swirling…dancing even…reflecting glittering white and blue light down. He stared on at it…as his own white breath seemed to swirl up and dance around as well. And as he stared on…for a moment…his fear and confusion left him. Seeing the swirling snow, feeling the refreshing breeze…for a few seconds, it filled him with nothing but wonder…

He felt something at his feet.

Blinking, the child looked down, and then let out a gasp of surprise…and delight.

"Everyone look!"

The children turned, and were a bit stunned at what they saw. The small orphan among them suddenly had a brand new kimono and tied at his feet, which he readily picked up. Compared to his own clothing…ratty…dirty…falling apart…it was a marvelous gift. He was soon excited as he snatched it up.

"Hey everyone!" Another called.

The children looked again to another small child, this one a girl grinning as she held up a pair of new shoes just her size…wonderful for her as she had been going weeks in bare feet.

"How did you get that?" One called.

"…You think the 'Yuki no Megami' gave it to her?" Another suggested.

The children hesitated a moment…but, at their age, the world was "simpler". They didn't allow thoughts of trickery or potential "standards" into mind. Soon, they began to look into the sky as well. That alone wouldn't have done it…but it didn't need to. The fact that some of them had seen the gifts appear meant that they were already filling with more "wonder". The snowfall just sealed the deal. It wasn't long before all of them were beginning to see gifts materialize around them, not toys or games…but things they, as homeless orphans, had genuine needs for. Maybe clothes, shoes, or a hat…or something like tools or baskets that they could use to gather their own food by helping to work fields, or to catch fish at the rivers. And as these came…the enthusiasm began to spread. The joy began to grow. A "glow" almost seemed to come around the children which made them impervious to the cold. On the contrary…the storm seemed to grow more beautiful and gentle. And as a result…the children began to go from being standoffish to actually appreciating it…even loving it…

The thoughts of the Yuki no Megami…a benevolent snow goddess…began to enter their minds and fill them with hope and wonder…

Not only that…but as other children began to run up, along with other families, into this "small island" of beautiful snow in the midst of the all-consuming heat…they stopped and noticed this. They were confused at first. Even stunned or bewildered. But slowly…a few children among them saw this…and began to fill with the same wonder…

"Come on!" The big man laughed as he ran back for the hill. "First to the top is 'King of the Hill'!"

The orphans, growing more enthused all the time…not seeing this 'winter' as something cold or harsh but magic and even welcome…ran after him with enthusiastic looks.

* * *

"Daichi! Just leave it!" The little girl whined from the front door.

However, her older brother wouldn't stop. He continued to dig away at the rapidly mounting snow as fast as he could and, as soon as he exposed some of the blackened ground, he began to dig away again. "No! Come on, Hikari! Help me!"

The little girl continued to look anxious, turning back to what was left of the smoldering ruin of the house. Her parents and older siblings were all salvaging whatever they could and putting them in a cart, but then getting ready to get out as fast as they could. There was no point in staying anymore, after all. That monster had burned their home to the ground and set their fields on fire. They were all nearly burnt to nothingness and the rest of them sure to perish from the heat that the horrible flaming sun was giving…until, by some miracle, the sky covered and an icy cool breeze came through, followed by heavy snowfall that put out their house and what was left of their farm. Yet it was no good. They had lost four fifth of their crop, the same as their neighbors, who, in the glittering, reflective snow, Hikari could see were packing up as fast as they could too. The snow was the final nail in the coffin. It might have put out the fire, but a sudden 'winter' was no better than a hellish summer. It would kill what was left. Yet Daichi, the youngest son, refused to give up. Even now he was digging through the mounting snow, trying to look for daikon that were still worth preserving…and finding nothing but ash. The fire that had come through had burnt down into the lower layers of the ground. It would ruin everything for years and years to come… Their father had already declared them "doubly cursed" by both the fire and snow.

But still he clung to hope.

Hikari whined. "We have to go, Daichi! Look at the snow! It'll ruin everything that's left!"

"Then we've got to save all we can!" Daichi shouted as he continued to dig in another pile of snow, trying to get to the ground where another radish was. "We've got no food to travel with!"

"Dad said it's all gone! There's no point!"

"There's got to be some left!" He maintained as he got to the ground level and then dug deeper…and found only more ash. Not deterred, he went to another pile and dug in that. "This snow has to mean there is!"

"It's just another curse, mom said!"

"No, it's not!" Daichi shouted as he dug more furiously…and found more ash. Still, he went elsewhere and dug again. "It can't be! It's a gift from the gods! It's here to help!"

"Good thinking, kid. Never give up hope."

The voice popped up right next to Daichi, and he quickly forgot what he was doing and turned…just in time to see a cloaked man seem to finish arising from a shadow right next to him. He recoiled in fear and shock. Hikari, who had indeed seen him "spring out" from the shadows, let out a cry and retracted a bit.

"Hey there…easy." The figure said as he raised a hand. "I'm one of the good guys. Honest."

The children didn't seem to notice that. Daichi began to retreat, clearly eyeing him with suspicion. Hikari, on her part, looked ready to open her mouth and cry for her parents. The hooded figure noticed this and realized that his appearance was a bit too shocking. Too "dark".

"…Please calm down." He said after a moment. "I really don't want to have to do this…" He moaned afterward.

However, Daichi looked ready to bolt for it. Hikari began to start making a noise that was the start of a scream. He just looked too "foreboding". Realizing this, the figure sighed.

"…Just this once."

With that, he brushed back his hood…and both kids stopped what they were doing and gaped. The man didn't have regular ears at all…but two long, fluffy, rabbit ears.

A moment later, Daichi's frown broke out into a snicker…a giggle…and finally a laugh. Hikari, on her part, forgot her scream and gasped in delight.

"Look! It's a Usagi man!"

The man grit his teeth, barely containing his embarrassment and anger. "_Nousagi…_Nousagi!" He nearly shouted back. "I'm a hare, not a rabbit! Anyway, forget that…" Shaking his head, he calmed down, and then pointed to the ground. "Hope's never a bad thing to lose, kid. You can't give up on it…especially on a day like today. It's not going to disappoint. Try digging just one more time and you'll see what I mean."

Daichi continued to laugh a bit, but calmed down as the hare man spoke to him. He realized that he was telling him to keep digging, and he was pointing right to a fresh spot. The boy hesitated a moment…but he had believed all along that he could find something. Therefore, he bent down and started to dig through the snow again. As he cleared it down to the dirt, he at first saw only more blackened earth. He looked up to the man, but he continued to point. With that, he looked back down and kept going. As he did, Hikari, finding a desire to touch the fluffy ears, began to run out to them as well. Daichi, on his part, dug into the ashy ground for a moment, finding nothing green, no stems, and…

Something hard.

The boy froze. A moment later, he more eagerly dug, clearing the area around what he had found, and slowly began to expose something rather large and white. He blinked in surprise and kept digging, as Hikari came up to him. Seeing him so eager, she leaned over and looked, and soon marveled at what he was doing, just as the boy was. Daichi cleared a bit more, and then reached out and grabbed the sides of it. It took all the strength in the young boy's body, but the ground was burned and loose…and so he was able to yank it up.

Hikari exclaimed as Daichi fell over from the force…yanking out a daikon radish the size of her.

"Wow!" She exclaimed. "That's amazing! That's the biggest one I've ever seen!"

Daichi, on his part, pushed the monstrous radish off of him and quickly got up to his knees, marveling at it. He looked back to the hare yokai and blinked. "Did…did you…?"

"Don't thank me. Your own hope did it…" He answered, before pointing to the sky. "And a little help from the Yuki no Megami. The fire that came through here burned all the soil and carried the nutrients into the smoke…but her snow caught it and is bringing it back down, making it soak back into the earth. Now don't stop there. Both of you…look for more. I guarantee there's more of those. Keep hoping for finding some and you'll find them."

Hikari lit up at that. "Really?!" Immediately, without any warning, she took off for another patch of snow and began to dig. "I'm going to find a bigger one than you, Daichi!"

The boy turned and looked, a bit confused at all of this…but it didn't last. After a moment, growing more eager, he soon turned and ran to a patch of snow as well. He began to dig into it. In the end, he turned up nothing there, or in the next spot…but Hikari's second spot found something.

"I got one! I got one!" She said as she grabbed it and began to grunt. "Ugh! It's heavy! Come help me, Daichi!"

The boy stopped his own digging and looked to her, and soon ran over. Both siblings working together worked at it a bit…and finally pulled up another daikon…even bigger than the last.

By the time the two had pulled up five of them, the other family members noticed, and other children began to come to ask how they found them. Soon they were digging too…even laughing and cheering as the beautiful snow fell down around them. Although the ground was covered…somehow it didn't get any "thicker" on the fields as they worked. Their neighbors noticed this…and after a time…one of them decided to try digging at their own ruined soil…and soon let out a joyful shout…

* * *

The fishermen were stunned, not knowing what to make of what was happening. A little while ago, the hellish sun had appeared and began to rain down fiery death and heat upon not only the city, but the surrounding water. To the horror of the fishermen, as large sections of the city were enveloped in flames, the water they were on began to simmer and boil, soon sending up the cooked remains of fish floating and threatening to smother them with the heat. The men thought of rowing away to cooler waters, but there were those with families who wanted to row back and be with their families. The "single" ones complained they were as good as dead with the hellfire burning overhead, while those with relatives began to get enraged, and fights had broken out that nearly resulted in men going over the edge and being boiled to death. But before it could get too bad…the sky filled with darkness, and soon an unnatural cold and snowfall just as potent as the fire washed over them. The hellish sun vanished from view, being replaced with millions of glittering flakes.

No one knew what to do now, as the ocean rapidly cooled, and then froze. In spite of how cold it had to be to freeze seawater, the men were only a little chilly from it. Yet that didn't take away their fear. By now, some were panicking. The bolder ones thought the frozen water might be hard enough to step onto and run back to the shore with, especially when inches of snow soon began to pile on top of it as well, but even they were hesitant. None of them knew if they were in the midst of a new level of a curse or a sudden blessing, and the lack of knowledge filled them with more fear. Eventually, the sensation began to win out that this was something else supernatural and fearsome…perhaps that they had been killed by the heat and had been whisked away to some form of afterlife. Even the few men among them who were willing to go ashore with or without the others were fearful, not to mention realizing, whether it be fire or ice, their boats could be ruined and there would be no way for them to have a livelihood or to get their family's away from the city…

Soon, arguing was breaking out on the boats again.

"I've decided! I'm running for shore!"

"Are you nuts? We don't even know how thick this ice is! What if you fall in?"

"I've got three kids back there!"

"And what good will you do them if you die?"

"Shut up, you coward! You can stay out here and freeze if you want, but not me!"

"That's right! We'll _all _freeze if we just stay out here!"

"But if you got back to town, what then? Either you'll burn to death from that demon eye or get turned into ice! Look how cold the water has to be to freeze like this!"

"If you're going, at least help us break through enough to get the boats free first!"

"To hell with you! You're willing to just leave me and my family behind!"

"And you're willing to ditch me after I pulled you back in the boat the last monsoon! I thought we were all in this together? I thought we always helped each other out in bad weather?"

"This isn't 'bad weather', you fool! It's an apocalypse!"

"You son of a-"

"Boys, boys!"

The fishermen, once again about to grapple and fight, paused in the middle of what they were doing and turned to the voice…only to react in a fresh wave of fear, this one universal. There was a young woman before them, decked in clothing set with feathers, but also fluttering with shimmering wings…clearly not human. Although her look was innocent enough, simply frowning in an almost pout at them with her hands on her hips as she fluttered.

The men were in stunned silence for a moment, more at her appearance than anything. After a moment, she kept speaking.

"Look…" She gave her wings a rest and alit on the ice. "It's solid. You can all go back to shore now. And you all _should_, even if you don't have families to take care of. It's not like you're going to get your boats out now, anyway. Why aren't you happier? That horrible heat is gone. The fire that ruined the fish and threatened to kill you all has been washed away by the Yuki no Megami. What are you scared of?"

The fishermen were quiet. Considering everything that had happened that night, one of the last things they expected was for a strange flying creature to come before them and to start asking them questions like this. It really made them forget their anger for a few moments and simply gaze in puzzlement. Yet after a time, one finally spoke up.

"What are we scared of? You're obviously some sort of yokai fluttering in front of us…the world went from a fiery hell to the coldest winter on record…and you're asking what we're scared of?"

"One second the water is boiling to try and choke us with steam and the scent of dead fish!" Another shouted. "The next it's turned into ice so thick the boats won't even shift! You expect us to just be 'fine' with all of this?"

The woman frowned a bit more and stamped on the ground. "Aren't you hearing what I'm saying? This winter has come to help you! It put a stop to that demonic fire and saved your livelihood! This ice may be thick, but is it breaking any of your boats? And it stopped the boiling from killing the fish, didn't it?"

"Who cares? Having a sudden winter is just as bad as having that sudden heat!" One protested. "And it might be just as foul and evil!"

The individual didn't change. "I don't believe you… You should be thanking your lucky stars…seeing that this actually _helped_ you."

She pushed off, and soon was in the air again, fluttering once more. This time, she got a bit closer.

"Humans…every day they have less and less faith and hope in things. I've seen it for hundreds of years. It seems the more time goes on the less they believe in anything 'magic' or 'incredible'." She went on. "I know full well there's a time to grow up, to take responsibility, and to think like 'adults'…but you're taking it too far. You see something bad and then you 'hang onto it', let it warp your view of the rest of the world. You always err on the side of 'badness'…as if everything out there could be 'out to get you'. You weren't always like this…"

Suddenly, to the surprise of the men, she flew forward, and whipped out a jitte from her side, seemingly from nowhere. The men tried to react, but she was too swift for them, and dashed up to each one, tapping them on the teeth with the end. It was a bit jarring…but not painful. More of a surprise than anything. And since all he been "open-mouthed", none had a defense for it.

She continued to speak as she did. "There was a time when you'd be in awe of snow… How'd you'd love hearing it coming down…or would stare out the window and marvel as it filled up fields and valleys…or would laugh at seeing your own breath turn white… It was a time when the world was 'simpler'…when everything in it was new and fresh, and you still believed in magic and spirits and that everything in it was filled with wonder. Can't you remember?"

The fishermen were silent, still wondering about who this person was and why she had done it. However…unknown to them…the tapping of their teeth had "enhanced" their memory…made them think back to earlier times…simpler times… It wasn't enough to force them to remember anything. But to the select few among the group, the ones who were bolder, who had more faith in the stability of the ice, who thought that maybe this winter was actually a "good thing"…things began to stir inside them.

One man in the lead suddenly lost his confusion, and blinked. Seeing the dazzling snow fall all around…he remembered years ago when he was out in a forest at morning during a winter's day, and all of the sudden the sky broke…and filled the air with thousands of flakes. Looking up through the trees, seeing them all…he remembered what it felt like to see that for the first time. It was just like spring with the cherry blossoms, only now transposed to months earlier…

Another remembered sitting next to a window with his own deceased younger sister. She died only two years later from illness…but before then he remembered taking her to the window and letting her watch the snow fall down, and she, in turn, had been in total awe of it. She dragged him outside and said for them to mold the snow together to make a gigantic rice cake for the rabbit in the moon, one so big even he would come down and eat it…and that made him laugh so much that he stayed out all day with her…

Yet another remembered going out on the ice the first time with his father. He was nervous at first. He couldn't see how anyone could cross the big lake. But on seeing himself standing firm, he marveled at it. He was able to walk right out to the center of the lake and see nothing but open sky for miles and miles around. Not only that, but his family cleared off a path, and then he was about to "scoot" around on his worn sandals, gliding all over the ice any way he wanted. He never remembered having so much fun before that…

And as more people remembered these happy things…remembering how they felt…they remembered what they used to believe in. The power of spirits and gods…imagining little kamis floating on each flake…or yokai making "jingling" noises when the sound went through the icy trees…and thinking that the powers that be had transformed the world…but most of all, at that age, remembering how they loved and embraced these times…seeing them as something that comforted them, not made them fearful.

When that happened, a few of the men up front, ones who were willing to go out before, felt strengthened…even happy. Not like they were going to run into their possible deaths but that everything was going to be fine…that there was a higher power out there that was on their side and helping them now, not leaving them to more death and chaos.

With that in mind, one of the men grinned, and suddenly ran to the edge of the boat, leapt over the edge, landed in the soft snow on the ice, and then began to run back to Kyoto. The other fishermen were surprised for a moment, before two more of them ran up to the edge, jumped out, and did the same. One of them even gave a happy shout as they did so. Another laughed.

Seeing this, a standoffish one held, but then began to remember the sounds of laughter and enthusiasm from when he was a child…and he too began to smile before leaping off the edge and running as well. Not long after, more began to join up with him.

* * *

Far over the city, the great flaming sphere continued to grow larger and brighter by the minute. Unseen by the eyes of mortals, a great flaming eye was deep inside it, searching about for more despair to unleash. Like a hungry predator, it gazed over the great city for whoever was gathered or huddled in fear, whoever was clinging to hope or holding out…and unleashing its wrath upon them. And each time it did, it felt its power grow larger and stronger. The only place it left out from this wrath was the path that Itachitoko was taking, and the main palace itself. It left that all to him. There was no hurry. He was brimming with more power than ever. He wasn't even trying to vent it all yet…but he was already at his strength as he was before when he first encountered the Yuki no Megami and surpassing it. Part of the reason he lost was because he wasted so much trying to incinerate the country. Now…he would keep it in check until he was ready to burn the world. And until that time, the woman could do nothing to him… Even converting her own life into her power now would avail her nothing…

So what in the world was she trying now?

He thought his last attack made it abundantly clear how futile her defiance was, and for a moment he drank more of her despair…a flavor he had indulged in greatly as of late and yet was the sweetest taste he had ever tried…only for it to vanish. Now, instead, she was generating the most powerful winter blizzard she could manage and had surrounding Kyoto with it. Slowly, it was moving inside.

He wondered what in the world she hoped to gain from this. Her power was nothing compared to his. All he had to do was release a bit more and he could evaporate her winter entirely and vaporize her clouds and snow. And then he could destroy her with his next move. Although she was concealing herself in her storm…her very nature was loathsome to him. He could find her like a human could find rotting pig dung...follow the repulsive stench. It would take only a moment to snuff out her life. That last "taunt" had proven that. The only reason he let her live was to give himself more of her despair to consume…and yet she wasn't producing it…

_She's up to something… _The demon thought as he looked into the storms. _Those are annoying. Perhaps I should just swat her like the fly she is right now…_

Just as he began to feel for more power to do so, however, the thing saw something below him…a small blip of icy blue light. Something just as foul and irritating to him as the woman was, just a little less so. He shifted his gaze downward…and soon saw that little gnat from 300 years ago riding his staff through the heat-covered town, and going straight for the main palace.

_What in the world does that fool think he's doing? If the Yuki no Megami herself is nothing to me, what does he think some worthless frost kami can do? Is he actually going to try and defeat Itachitoko after how badly he lost last time? I could annihilate him without even trying…_

Yet, the monster paused on thinking that.

_Then again…I vowed to let Itachitoko have Japan to himself, yet I have little need for a minion so weak that he cannot destroy one little frost kami… And mortals have such propensity for weakness…_

_Maybe I'll just "enjoy the show"…_

With that, Shitakarahi turned his gaze on Jiro…and away from the city…even as the snow storm continued to draw nearer and slowly increase in power of its own…

* * *

The shogun himself had made an appearance now.

He had little choice…pretty soon it would either be that or nothing.

The castle within Kyoto had several outer walls leading up to it in addition to the city walls, but this new opponent had smashed through every last one of them with what could only be described as hellfire. This didn't appear to be a man at all, but rather some hulking fire demon. They had noticed him early on, when he started destroying the rice fields outside of the main city. On seeing the fire and smoke, they had assumed it was a raiding party or the like, and a team of soldiers were sent out to deal with him…and were promptly annihilated. Only two of them were spared to go back and relate what happened…how this was a single individual responsible, and how he destroyed them all with fire that turned them to ash in instants, even the skeletons. As they mounted another assault group, the monster reached the first set of gates and burned them away into nothingness, leaving nothing but molten pools where the iron and other metals used to be. The wood elements were vaporized.

Following that, the monster had come into the city to the tune of the flaming sun appearing overhead, growing larger, hotter, and more nightmarish by the minute before it began to rain down flaming death at random. Yet the worst was the original monster, who, without pity or mercy, incinerated everything in his path. Not just humans, but home and livestock and water sources. With his heat, wells dried up, entire streets were gutted with fire, and not even the innocent who only wanted to escape were spared his wrath. Although the city had gates and walls in layers, they only slowed him down long enough to burn through him. Direct fighting was useless. Men would burn to death before they could even stab him and then disintegrate into nothing. Arrows were also useless. For far away volleys, he would see them coming and burn them away with waves of fire or simply increase the heat around him until they melted down before they could hit him. Closer ranged arrows fired more directly might work, but he kept the area around him in such heat and flames that no one could get close without their own skin beginning to burn. He was like a walking furnace.

And now, he was melting down the last set of gates. These ones were made purely of iron, and yet they were eroding away faster than ice in a blast furnace, shedding slag all around them. The shogun, realizing that he was only killing men for nothing trying to stop this foe earlier, had pulled back most of the reserve men he had brought with him to court, and now a good thousand strong were ready, with five hundred bracing themselves to fight here and another five hundred on every level of the palace, acting as bodyguards for the emperor. Again, he was just a symbol, but he was a strong symbol. He couldn't let him fall…even though he had no idea how he was supposed to stop it. It was all he could do to keep himself standing firm now, hand on his sword hilt, girt for war…and feeling the horrendous heat seeming to char his skin as well as those of the other men as he stood at the ready.

The trees in the garden were already withering, some smelling like they were beginning to smolder. The streams had dried up. Older and weaker soldiers were passing out. Ones that were too close to the gate suddenly screamed as their clothes burst into flame, and then then ran back. The archers had tried to send volleys over the wall, but now the heat was growing so bad that the bows were splintering when they were drawn. The shogun ordered them to save them…to shoot the enemy directly as soon as the gate was down. Yet he had no idea if that would work any more than blades would… If only they had horses, he could risk a charge. Yet that too was impossible. The animals had already spooked and ran like wild stallions long before the demon man drew near. It was down to them.

Finally, the gates collapsed. They had been melting so much that they broke their fastenings and sloped to one side, and gravity did the rest pulling them down. Immediately, a rush of heat came over them like a flaming fire…all emitting from a hulking, monstrous humanoid with twisted, almost "oni" features, a massive hawk-like nose, nearly red skin, and brimming with muscle. His face looked similar to an old man, but his body was young and vigorous. Although the heat was nearly unbearable and it was all but impossible to look, the archers fired wildly at the figure.

Not one arrow landed. The fiend only grinned as roaring fires lunged up in front of him…enough to burn the first few rows of soldiers and totally incinerate the first row, causing the survivors to turn and flee. But the heat was enough to obliterate every arrow long before reaching him. As for the surge in heat, it made the bowstrings snap and the bows themselves wither and crumble. Nearly overwhelmed by heat, the men rapidly began to pull back. Even the shogun was forced to shield his face and take a few steps backward. Needless to say…a third of the final defense broke immediately. And the shogun, barely having enough courage of his own to stand, was the only reason many of the others stayed. There were other brave samurai here like Nakamura…but by now the shogun realized that this thing had already destroyed him as well as many other good men…

The thing had burning red coals for eyes…and they soon focused squarely on him.

"You always claimed to be a man of honor…and yet I knew I wouldn't find you until right here, 'my lord'." The demon man spoke in a human voice…although it was deep, raspy, and sounding just like it barely "qualified" as human. "Stand aside and maybe there will be a place for you in the new order. I could use you, at the minimum, to keep other fools from trying to rebel."

The shogun merely clenched his teeth, ignoring the wording as he swept his hand at him. "Away from here, demon! You are not welcome in these gates! And you shall not harm the emperor! Back to the hell from whence you came!"

In response, the grin of the fiend only grew as he stepped forward through the threshold.

"Is that supposed to be your 'ward' against me? Why aren't the rest of the onmyoji out here giving a proper one? That's right…they ran and hid like cowards, because not one of them ever had true faith in the spirits or powers that be. If they had, they would have gained this power for themselves long before _I _did. And yet…you always looked down on me and my powers and predictions. Tell me, 'my lord'…" He hissed as he came to a halt, holding his arms up and making a pillar of flame arise from his body.

"Do you believe in my power _now?!_"

The nearest men began to char at this and fled, breaking again, reducing those who were still standing to just half. Those who remained shielded themselves, trembled, and shrank back. The shogun himself felt the horrendous heat surging from the thing, knowing it could destroy him in an instant, and feeling the urge to break as well. Yet as he recoiled and shielded himself…he managed to keep looking into the bright, demon fire…

And saw the face.

When he did, the rest of the words clicked…and his own determination turned to confusion.

"…Itachitoko?"

"Ah good…you remember." He hissed back as the flames subsided and his arms lowered. "After all, I sure do. I remember all of you sickening butchers with your little cleavers…none of you having a brain between the lot of you…clinging to all of your stale traditions while the world changes and your opponents exploit your honor at every turn…and always, _always_ mocking me. Calling me a charlatan…a fraud…a disgrace to the kingdom… Well…now you're going to see just the full extent of my power first-hand…and if you're fortunate, I may let some of you live long enough to see the _new_ order…the one where there is no more need for samurai or shogun…just the one true Emperor of Japan…the dynasty of Itachitoko!"

The shogun was stunned. He had no idea how this had happened…but he knew that this had to be the onmyoji he mocked and wished nothing more than to throw into the mud of the street for months. He had clearly made a pact with the powers of darkness, and had been reborn as this "thing". It was not only shocking…but insulting. To have such a weak, miserable, pile of avarice such as him be behind all of this madness. And yet, he realized he spoke the truth. The shogun could not advance a single step. Even now he felt his hair beginning to twist and his skin continue to burn. Any closer and he'd be burned into nothingness. Whatever power he had obtained…it made him invincible. His courage was shattered. There was nothing he could do to this fiend…and nothing his men could do either. Even those still standing were beginning to lose their resolve. Their weapons started to lower. Their faces filled with terror...

All Itachitoko had to do was say the word…and they would forsake both the shogun and the emperor and pledge fealty to him. They would kneel right here and now…

And he had no idea what to do about it.

However, before his fears could get much worse, and he too gave into the despair, even as the monster continued to gather more flame to himself…

He heard laughter in the air.

"The Dynasty of Itachinotoko? Let me guess…free mortars for everyone**? One week a month is spent hunting mice? Are all bath houses being closed in favor of cleaning yourself with your tongue?"

Everyone registered surprise at this, including Itachitoko. However, after only a moment, his grin turned into a tooth-filled scowl.

"That little brat…"

A moment later, to the tune of a stream of frost, Jiro came around and landed right in the path of Itachitoko, between him and the men huddled back in fear. From this range, anyone would normally be burning away…but Jiro was bringing his "A-game" from the start…emitting as much cold as he could to keep him not only comfortable but "casual". After all…that was all part of his plan.

At any rate, he didn't care much for the shogun or his men even as his cold gave a refreshing breeze over them. All he needed from them was to be a "good audience" if this was going to work…

…Assuming it _did_ work, that is.

"I think you'll need a bit more fur to be a proper King of Weasels, Itachinotoko." Jiro snickered. He pointed to the top of his own scalp. "Particularly up here. Don't know if you noticed, but you long since burned up that piece of goat hair you were using for a wig."

The man grit his teeth. "You sure are smug for a miserable little weakling kami. I already proved you're nothing to me once, boy…or whatever you are. And now even that sickening slut you love isn't around to protect you from me. I could destroy you in one blast…but I think I'll make you suffer first until you beg for forgiveness." He grinned a bit wider. "Or maybe I'll find that pale-faced whore you love so much first and have my way with her in front of you before you die…"

Yet as he said this as a threat…he noticed something odd.

Not only was Jiro calmly standing there and smiling, the other men behind him were beginning to smirk. In spite of their fear, some of them were beginning to make smiles, and even hiding them.

That was because, unknown to Itachitoko, as he had been rambling…a snowman had formed behind him that was a likeness of him, only with a big, goofy "weasel head" on top…and he had exaggeratedly pantomimed everything the real Itachitoko had done.

The man blinked, then grit his teeth. "Are you so crazy that something about that statement amused you? Did I perhaps do some permanent damage in our last battle?"

However, at this point, people were beginning to snort, for the snowman continued to exaggerate even more, his eyes going "googly" and getting a nose so oversized he had to "file it down" to keep moving it. Itachitoko, realizing they were looking by him, turned around…just in time to see the snowman evaporate into a mass of snowflakes that were either vaporized by his heat or went to the ground. Hissing, he turned back.

"What are you planning? Is this your idea of a sneak at-"

The men were starting to chuckle now, and he turned around again…once more seeing a flurry of snowflakes…just having missed the fact that the snowman had reformed, this time holding up a sign pointing at him saying "Weasel Man" in big kanji letters.

"Exactly what are you planning, you miserable brat? I am the embodiment of fire! I could annihilate you all with-"

By now, they was a great deal more laughing, because the snowman had reformed again, this time with a sign saying: "My nose is this big because I had a lot of dirty thoughts as a boy." Again, Itachitoko snapped around…and saw only snow.

"What are you trying to do?!" He screamed as he spun back around. "Frustrate me?! You have any idea how bad-"

He snapped around without warning…but still missed the snowman holding a sign that said: "I went bald because I slept with a kappa. She was the only one who wanted me and she hung herself after it was done." The men's fear was fading now, and they were laughing out loud at this point. He snapped back…only for the snowmen to break into a whole chorus of weasels who began to dance and jump and taunt him behind his back. He flipped back around, and saw only snow, then back forward…and they resumed. He did this numerous times, growing more angry and more frustrated with each turn. His body got hotter and hotter, and the flames grew more and more around him…increasing the heat…but also no longer focused. Jiro had to use a lot of his own power…but he managed to keep the images coming and solid.

Finally, Itachitoko moved fast enough to catch the snow weasels forming kanji letters by joining together to spell: WEASEL MAN. Screaming in rage, the demon man aimed his hand up and fired a ball of fire out from it that obliterated the snow weasels into nothingness, and sailed on by to blast a sizeable hole in the wall surrounding the palace as well. After that, he spun back around one last time.

"I have _had it, _you sickening brat! Now you're going to…"

However, Jiro wasn't paying attention. He was smiling cockily, hefting up a large snowball up and down in one hand.

At that, the old man sneered. "…_That's_ what you plan to do next, stupid boy? Hit me with a snowball?"

Jiro didn't answer. He merely took careful aim, cocked back, and then flung the snowball forward right at Itachitoko's face…and although it melted away, something kept coming in strong and sharp with an edge on it…which impacted solidly with his forehead and dug into his skin. A small spurt of blood erupted, and the old man clutched for his brow and staggered back in pain, while the men behind him laughed even more than before.

"Oops…I had wondered if I accidentally put a rock in that one…" The Laughing Frost mused. "Silly me."

The old man didn't even bother responding this time, he merely snapped both of his hands forward and blasted forth with a column of flame. Quickly, Jiro snapped into the air and flew to one side, and the men behind him had to cease their own laughter and break for it, for the fire kept coming and annihilating everything in its path. Luckily, it didn't do so long, for Itachitoko wanted the frost kami now, not them. He immediately looked to the air and fired out more flames.

Yet this time, Jiro stayed calm. True, there was no Eiko here to defend him…or to distract him. He was free to go back into his "fun" element, and began to use his style of "free-flying" to let Itachitoko blast into the air again and again…and hit absolutely nothing. So long as he was mad and trying to smack him with straight up "force"…there was no danger of being hit.

_But I can't do this all day…_ He said, before swinging his staff down again, and sending a storm of snowballs right into Itachitoko's face. The heat that the man was producing was more than enough to turn them all into steam before they got there, but following the one that left a nasty cut over the bridge of his nose, he winced and looked away, letting them form a curtain of "steam" in front of him instead, obscuring his vision. He held back and let it clear a moment, then swiped it away and looked about…and soon fumed again.

Jiro was nowhere to be seen…at least, not clearly. Instead, he was surrounded by dozens and dozens of Jiro "snowmen". None of them were moving, but all of them looked casual, grinned, laughed, or were posed in otherwise mocking positions.

The onmyoji hissed again, looking around at them, knowing that Jiro had to be hiding among them…

When he suddenly felt a ball of slush smack him in the back of the head. It was a rather light impact. After all, his heat was still melting quite a bit, but at the moment the bulk of it was focused into his hands, and a specially "cooled" ball by Jiro was cold enough to stay in one piece until it hit him in the back of the head and erupted. Instantly, he whirled around…

And saw one of the statues was twice as big and wasn't Jiro at all, but a goofy looking "weasel man".

Roaring in anger, Itachitoko snapped about and fired off a column of flame, obliterating it and turning it into a cloud of steam…only to get smacked even harder in the back of his head by another snowball. The snowball wasn't any bigger…it was only that his power was all focused forward, and therefore not able to protect him as much. What more, being pasted again was causing the people around him to laugh again. In spite of the threat that Itachitoko represented…they were starting to see this entire thing as not so much life threatening and more like a spot of fun…

Again, the onmyoji turned, and this time saw a statue with an angry crow chasing after a statue of Itachitoko, apparently wanting his "beak back" that he used for a nose. Screaming in rage, Itachitoko shot out and annihilated this and, still bellowing, forced his body around to start annihilating each and every statue of Jiro one by one, turning each one into boiling steam with a blast…

And, as a result, didn't see the real Jiro shoot up behind him. With his power so much behind him, Jiro was able to get close enough by exerting his max "coldness", and by sheathing his staff in ice as well. At once, he reached out with the crook, latched it around Itachitoko's pants, somehow burned yet undestroyed in the midst of all of this chaos, and then instantly generated a dozen potent ice cubes which he dumped down inside before letting the waistband recoil.

The attack aborted immediately on feeling Jiro, but it was too late as the ice went down Itachitoko's pants, and with his power directed to the front of his body, he couldn't help but feel them. Soon, his eyes widened, and he cried out as he soon ran around in a circle, shouting out in alarm. His power actually recoiled as he began to dash around…a fact that Jiro immediately exploited, although the onmyoji didn't realize. He was too busy crying out and grasping for his pants.

The men around him laughed even louder.

Finally, to the tune of another pillar of flame erupting around him, Itachitoko stood his ground and once more melted away the ice. His red eyes blazing like gleaming coals now, he snapped around once again, and found Jiro standing rather close, arms crossed behind him, innocently smiling.

"Oh, come on. It's not like your balls could get any smaller from getting a little cold in your nether regions."

Itachitoko quivered in rage…as the men laughed even louder.

Jiro tapped his chin. "Right there. A free one on me."

The onmyoji didn't need a second prompting. Roaring almost like a demon himself, he reared back one of his massive forearms…

Only for the sudden swing to cause him to fall backward, and then slip and land on his back with a large thud.

Jiro had used the opportunity to ice the ground while Itachitoko was thrashing around. Even with his full power going into it, he could barely keep it cold enough to stay solid, and it was only due to thousands of years of practice that he could do it now. But he didn't want it "entirely" frozen. By being slightly melted, Itachitoko made it slipperier than ever. And, as he correctly guessed, his new muscular body was so oversized and ungainly, and he had so little experience in a fistfight, that he had fallen right on his back rather than even threw a punch.

"Oh, so close." Jiro taunted. "Well…not really, but you've got to have _some_ respect for the aged, right?"

The laughter boomed again.

Itachitoko roared again as he tried to snap to his feet…but it was no good. As he snapped around on all fours, he immediately slipped and fell again. Growling, he scrambled up off the ground only to fall flat again after that. He soon began to flail and thrash about in rage, and as a result only flopped around like a fish.

"Can I get some tea while I'm waiting?" Jiro calmly asked as he kept standing there. "Because I'm getting a little bored standing around here. I can get you a mouse or a vole or whatever it is you weasels eat while I'm at it…"

_"__Damn you!"_ Itachitoko screamed as the crowd burst into more laughter than ever. By now, some of the men who had run off in fear were coming back, hearing the laughter…and they began to join in as well. As for Itachitoko, all he had to do was focus his heat around him and he'd vaporize the water and ice and have firm ground to stand on in an instant. But in spite of his rage and heat he was pouring out, it was enough for Jiro to keep frozen beneath him, because he was too mad to think about using his power to keep his footing. He only thought of focusing it to try and swipe that look off of Jiro's face. On that note, he suddenly tore his arms up and fired more blasts of heat at the frost kami's head…but Jiro didn't even have to dodge. With no footing or balance, he simply slipped and let every heat ray go "wild".

"Hmm…and here they say weasels see better at night…" Jiro mused aloud. "Then again, I have a hard time understanding how you can see anything around that big nose of yours… Will it help if I shout out to you where I am? Or I can get a kid to lead you by the hand if you need it…"

Bellowing again, the demon-empowered onmyoji finally slammed all of his limbs down and shot himself off of the ground and to his feet, before he shot forward, surging right at Jiro. For a moment, he grinned like a madman, seeing he was finally up, finally ready to attack…and he reared back his fist for all he was worth and put all the power he could into it, meaning to smash Jiro down with one punch, to turn him into nothing but bloody ash…

The young man continued to stand there with arms crossed and smiling as he saw the flaming, horrible avatar come right at him…and then lightly pushed off with one leg, simply sliding to one side.

"Whoops, too late. Changed my mind."

Itachitoko only had a moment to gape in surprise…before he went right by Jiro and slammed back down on the ice. And with the speed and power he was putting out, he proceeded to slide right across it and straight for the nearest stone statue in the garden. He gaped and tried to stop himself…only to flail around and actually put on more speed until he smashed his head right into the base of it. To add more insult to injury…Jiro had instantly put a huge pile of snow right on top of it…and his impact shook it off and buried his upper torso in it. Between his lack of focus, the strength of his slide, and the fact that Jiro was keeping it cool…the old man ended up in a pile of slush.

The crowd, which was growing larger all the time, laughed even louder…some even applauding. Slowly, it was beginning to come over them. Where before they had nervously laughed or snickered…their fear was evaporating. Their despair was fading. This object of horror and fear was now becoming nothing more than amusement. Through Jiro's power, even the thought of all of the destruction and evil he had wrought was being forgotten by laugher…by fun…

A moment later, Itachitoko finally exploded from the snow, screaming in more rage than ever, and glaring furiously at Jiro. Soon he shouted out a string of death threats…

But failed to notice that the snow around him was melting more slowly, staying "liquid" longer this time, and that his own fires were "subsiding"…

* * *

Directly above, Shitakarahi continued to watch this unfold, and was not pleased. He didn't step in yet, and he had no "definite plans" to. After all, it wasn't just the fact that Itachitoko was proving himself to be ultimately as inept and weak as any mortal. It was that his ambition was a bit too much for him. To be honest, a part of him had always hated the thought of "sharing power". Out of all the lands in the world he was willing to cede, Japan was the least of them. That was where his hated foe emerged from and where he drew the bulk of his power. If this little gnat was able to rid him of the old fool, so much the better.

However, his gaze was so much on the battle…he was blind to all else.

As the storm continued to grow, continued to blot out more of the hellish sun and smother the fire and death, there were changes over the city. In one corner, two hundred kids were now playing with a big man, as he wrestled with them and challenged him to the city's biggest snowball fight in years. At first it was just the orphans who flocked to him, especially as the cries began to spread out that he was giving free gifts. But soon it began to spread to others, including families who were fleeing the city. The children began to tug on the clothes of their parents to go over to him so they could join in the fun. At first, the parents were scared and demanded they run. This was no time for fun or play, not when death was coming upon them all. But on seeing the beautiful snowfall…the peaceful night…and, most of all, the laughter and fun the children were having, banishing all darkness, fear, or terror…it began to "infect" them. They first flocked to the big man and the "grand game" just thinking it had to be safer there if everyone was so happy, but from there…they only began to grow in happiness and calmness themselves. They looked up and around, and each one thought they had never seen a snowfall so beautiful…had never seen winter as a season of peace or comfort. But they did now, on seeing how happy everyone was…and soon began to spread it…

Elsewhere, spreading just as quickly, people were returning to the fields rather than running in panic. Some were even bringing out wagons and carts and loading up a bountiful harvest that should have been impossible, but, they believed due to the magic winter, was actually looking at a record. Their despair had turned into joy. And the more people searched and the more hope they had, the more they found. Even children who looked in places that had already been searched found cabbage, radishes, and even rice. Not just in the ground, but huge bushels of it bound up in the most unlikely places. And the more the hope spread, the more farmers began to find it. At first they looked in just a field or two, but as children called out finding them further away, they spread out. Some were dancing in the snow for joy. Others praising the Yuki no Megami for the unexpected 'winter harvest'…

As the winter went deeper and deeper into Kyoto, it brought back more who had fled it or held back as well, led on by a strange winged creature who was making them remember happier times…times in which they believed in magic and benevolent spirits and that good always triumphed and the powers that be were not cold and distant but watchful and guarding. Their fear began to diminish as memories of more carefree years filled with hope and joy flooded into them, and as they ran back to their families and loved ones, even their neighbors who had fallen behind, they felt growing "newness" to them…growing wonder and amazement at the falling snow, as if they were seeing it for the first time. In spite of the fears and dangers that had set upon them, sensations of hope and joy were flooding through them now…desires to forget the fear and danger and play happily in the snow with their families and enjoy the world and life…

And the effects continued to spread as the three responsible went into the city and led everything onward, spreading more hope and joy as they went. It began to spread of its own accord, however, all underneath the heavenly snowstorm. And even those deep in the center of the city, still seeing the hellish sphere and the heat welling out from it, heard the sound of laughter from the palace itself…and began to feel hopeful as well.

And as that happened…the heat from the sphere slowly stopped growing…and then began to ebb…

While he didn't notice the growing power of his opponent, when it came to his own power starting to lessen...Shitakarahi became aware of it fairly quickly. Then he looked down, and finally became aware of the fact that his hated foe was hiding in the storm…yet her own presence was growing stronger and more loathsome to him…

He had stayed on the sidelines long enough.

_Time to finish this joke... _He thought to himself before sending off a ray to his "burial place"…

* * *

Itachitoko tried to charge at Jiro again, still roaring and bellowing like a mad ape, only to slip and slide on his own two feet and smack back into the ground. Jiro, on his part, was smiling calmly and easily gliding on the ice. The onmyoji bellowed and fired more streams of fire at him, but they not only missed with ease, but they forced him back along the ice with each blast…until he slid right into another wall. As a result, a heavy torch sconce that was sitting there…and happened to have its moorings made extra brittle by a sudden cold wave…snapped clear loose and fell down on his head. The resulting "clang" wasn't just loud…it was painful and drew more blood, which rapidly began to stain his scalp.

Fuming with anger…but also breathing rather hard, he managed to shoot back up to his feet and, wobbling a bit both from the ice and dizziness, he pointed a claw at Jiro and snarled.

_"__I swear you will-"_

_ "__I swear you will-"_

The man froze. He saw Jiro pointing his own hand at him and speaking at the same time, with a voice mocking him.

"What do you think you're-"

"What do you think you're-"

Again, he was perfectly mocked. Soon, Itachitoko's face began to turn red.

"How dare you-"

"How dare you-"

"You little brat!"

"You little brat!"

_"__Silence, you fool!"_

_ "__Silence, you fool!"_

Itachitoko fumed in rage, quivering all over, flames erupting off him again. Jiro merely shrugged.

"Well, when you're so predictable, it's kind of hard not to mock you…" He trailed off, however, and blinked, looking to the side. "Say…what's that on your cheek?"

The demon-infused man, in spite of his anger, looked in the direction…and a snowball landed in his face a moment later. There wasn't even anything special about it, and it took a second or two to melt.

"Sheesh, now you're falling for the oldest tricks in the book." Jiro said with a head shake.

Sneering again, Itachitoko tried to surge forward, only to slip again…this time due to spheres of ice having been formed under his feet and causing him to waddle around, struggling to get his bearings. And as his feet repeatedly slipped around him, Jiro whistled and calmly took one step to the left and let him go right by before crashing into an ornamental tree. Soon after, icicles came down and fell on his head one after another…making sounds like an instrument playing "Sakura".

The laughter roared. By now, the men weren't even scared anymore, and those in the palace had come to the openings and were looking down, enjoying the whole show. The laughter and "fun" continued to increase. And, as a result…the world was changing. Although the winter storm that Eiko was making hadn't officially encroached on the palace yet, the area was getting cooler. The unbearable heat was becoming manageable. But most of all, for all his anger and frustration…Itachitoko's power was slipping with each new bellyful of laughter. Jiro's snow was actually making contact with him. His streams of heat were setting fires when they missed him but not melting anything. His heat was beginning to subside…leading Jiro to use less and less power to cool himself off. But not only that…the old man was wheezing now. Panting and sore, and slowing down. Demonic muscles or no, he wasn't used to straining himself this much. And the more power he put out, the more Jiro managed to turn it around on his own head. He was actually weakening.

As the old man peeled himself off of the tree, leaving some burning in its wake on the bark, he turned around, panting, wheezing, and sweating now (somehow through his own heat), and glaring at Jiro. "You smug little wretch… You're nothing but a coward!" He managed to bellow as soon as he had enough air. "I know the truth! You're weak! Miserable! Feeble! That's why you're running around instead of fighting me like a man! Just like the whore you love, you can use your little 'tricks' all you want, but in the end you're still weak!"

Jiro merely grinned and gave a snort as he crossed his arms behind his head and balanced his staff on one shoulder. "Boy, do I wish you were in Arender-ken when the last guy was here who thought Eiko was weak… The truth is, I've just been having a good show around here, Itachinotoko. But yeah…I was starting to get a little bored and thought of wrapping this up, but I figured I'd humor you a little more. However…"

His smile suddenly faded…and his look became so dangerous that even the furious old man gave pause.

"…I'm getting tired of you insulting my lady, and it's time for me to protect her honor."

At once, a hard block of ice appeared at Jiro's feet, and he proceeded to uncross his arms, grab his staff, swing it down like a thresher, and smack the ice cube up and right at Itachitoko's head. He moved so fast and sudden that the old man was actually a bit shocked, but then quickly crossed a huge forearm in front of him to guard. It hit and shattered, but he still gave a mild cry, for it had edges sharp enough to cut him again. Still, he lowered his hand and meant to bellow again…but didn't get the chance.

The moment Jiro had hit the ice, he had dashed forward, using his own ice to slide up to the huge man, and generated a very large and dense ball of ice on the end of his staff. The moment Itachitoko removed his arm, Jiro was on him, underneath him, and swung the end of his staff up to smash and shatter the 40 pound ball of ice under his chin, jarring the man's head up and knocking him senseless.

Jiro didn't let up. Coating his own legs with solid ice, he twisted his staff around, planted it in the ground, and then brought one leg up to deliver an icicle-crusted kick into Itachitoko's side, digging in, drawing more blood, and shattering it enough so that he felt it in his kidneys. Moving like a bolt, he quickly sheathed that leg in ice again, launched off the end of his staff, and delivered two more kicks across the side of his head, raking more cuts into it and smacking his skull down with each one, just as it had leaned back. Snarling, the onmyoji swung a fist at the frost kami, only for him to push off of his staff and take off into the air, easily dodging the blow, and encrusting both of his hands in thick gauntlets of ice before giving the man two more "one-two" punches across the face, breaking the ice to do so.

After the sudden beating, the man was dizzy…but nevertheless took another swing at Jiro…which he nimbly ducked under and let fly over his head, before shooting forward and driving his fist deep and hard into his solar plexus…enough to where the hulking man buckled and gagged under the power of the blow, bending over. Swinging back and pivoting onto one hand, Jiro raised his legs and delivered a double kick to his face, causing his head to snap back and the man to stagger backward. Following that, he quickly reared up, snatching his staff up with him, encased it in ice, and then slammed it against the man's head one way and another, snapping it back and forth with each blow.

Hissing, Itachitoko let out a snarl before shooting forward with both arms in a "slap" to try and catch the frost kami in between, but he answered by dropping down to the ground, sliding under his legs, and, as he went through, icing over one of his hands to drive forward and give him a solid blow to the package.

As he slid on by and stood up behind him, the flames died further as Itachitoko gagged again, clutching for his body while falling to his knees. The Laughing Frost gave a chuckle.

"I'm not a real 'samurai', Weasel Man. I'm not afraid to fight dirty by striking a low blow…"

He planted his feet afterward, holding his staff up as it began to glow an icy blue, taking aim.

"Or shooting my opponent in the back."

He gathered his power a moment more…and then fired another beam of cold energy. The hulking man barely had time to cry out before the intense beam slammed into him, not only tearing his flesh and driving pain from sheer force into him, but coating him with ultracool ice as he was thrown off of his feet, carried through the air, and smashed into one of the walls of the castle. Jiro continued to fire from there, quickly covering him, the wall section, and everything around him with jagged, deadly ice.

He cut off a moment later, letting out a pant of his own from his discharge of force. Both he and the crowd gathered stared and looked. The icy aftermath of his attack was so cold it actually was generating small flurries around it, and all was silent for a few seconds.

Yet then, a crackling was heard, and one by one the pieces of ice in the center began to shatter and fall away. However…they didn't "explode" as they had previously or turned to steam. Only a few light steam clouds were arising from it as they fell away. Beneath it, wheezing, panting, and looking exhausted…even shivering a bit in spite of the heat still coming off of him…but no flames…the onmyoji picked his way out.

Even his muscles looked a little smaller as he staggered forward, almost stumbling out of the ice, and then to the flat ground. Even there, he looked up, weakly making fists again, but continued to gasp and shiver as he looked up to Jiro.

"How…how are you…do…doing this?" He managed to say after a moment. "I beat you easily…before…"

"Only because you got me 'out of my element', Weasel Man." Jiro answered with a smile. "I'm surprised you didn't know better. You get your power from despair…but I get it from happiness. Seems I wasn't just a prankster for the heck of it, eh? It actually empowered me. On that note…"

He again narrowed his gaze as he got his staff in front of him.

"Time to put you back in _your_ element."

With that, he took off for Itachitoko again. In spite of his weakness, even coldness, the demon-infused man balled his hands into fists and stood up straight. Sliding on the ice, Jiro was on him in an instant. He swung out one fist, sending out fire as he did so…and the young man simply ducked under it. He brought his other fist around to try and cross him, but Jiro merely swung his arm out in a blocking gesture and, in spite of the size of it, deflected it to one side, and brought his staff forward to drive it into Itachitoko's chest, charged with blue.

At once, the onmyoji cried out in agony as he went rigid, his arms and legs stretching out, his back arched, and his head craned to the sky. He bellowed like a beast one more time. The blue aura from Jiro's staff rapidly spread out and spread "through" him, penetrating into his flesh and enveloping him both inside and out. It started in his heart region and quickly went out across his torso and then his limbs. Much as had been the case with Eiko and Hachiro, the man's entire body was criss-crossed with blue light. Yet in spite of that, traces of fire began to erupt as well from all over his body, through each blue crack. They didn't burn long. Rather, the icy light seemed to "push" against them, compress them, and force them down into red lines that were behind each blue light…turning him into a mixture of the icy blue cracks and the "contained" fire in dots. And as that happened…Itachitoko began to change.

The coals in his eyes slowly dimmed, turning from red fire to dull…and then separating from there to become white with pupils. His muscles seemed to ebb away like gas taken out of an inflated sac. His remaining fire was smothered, and the heat emanating from him vanished, quickly surrounded by Jiro's cold instead. His body withered as it shrank, no longer young and healthy but old, gnarled, and twisted. As more and more of his body "lessened", the only thing left was his oversized hawk nose. As the lights began to recede back to the staff, taking the "fire" with them, all that was soon left was a wiry old man…pure flesh and blood…and maybe some bruises and cuts too from the beating he received.

As the light went into the staff, Jiro snapped around and pulled…yanking out what looked like a flame from Itachitoko's chest, causing the old man to fall in his knees. The fire raged and cast about and spit like a fire that was being doused with water, but also thrashed as if it was almost alive and "clinging to life". Jiro paid no mind to that. He merely held it up, hovering it on the end of his staff, surrounding it with cold. He watched it as it flickered about a moment, before focusing a bit more, and coated it with ice crystals. They quickly grew "inward", and he almost thought he heard the flame "cry out in fear", but then be utterly smothered.

Exhaling a bit, Jiro paused to look around. By now, with Itachitoko's power gone, his own had chilled the whole area. The fires around the palace had died, frost was against the panels, and a light flurry was falling…in spite of the flaming sky and orb overhead. Yet no one seemed to notice that. They all just looked up and marveled at him. As for the Laughing Frost, he turned and looked to the side.

Itachitoko was back to his wretched old self, and now had his arms around himself and was shivering violently. Somehow, he managed to look up at Jiro in what was an attempt of defiance, but also showed fear.

"C-C-Curse you…little b-b-brat! You'll p-p-pay f-f-for this! My mas-s-ster will give me even more p-p-power! Then I'll-ACK!"

Jiro pasted him in the eyes with a snowball, causing him to recoil and clutch for his eyes. On bare skin in a mortal body, that snowball had to be rather painful. Following that, Jiro took his staff and waved it at the ground…instantly encasing him up to his armpits in ice. The old man let out a yipe, and went rigid…before he began to shake even more violently.

"There we are. Now you're so cold you can't give any more backtalk." Jiro said with a smile. He leaned in close and grinned right in the freezing man's face even as his skin began to turn white, and then blue. "I'll let the shogun and emperor decide what to do with you. They may be mortals, but I think they can think up a nicer, longer, torturous death than I'm capable of. You'll make sure to tell me when they break you out of this ice if your legs snap off with it, won't you? Because I honestly don't know what will happen. Thanks, Itachinotoko!"

The old man was left desperately trying to mumble his real name, but his teeth were chattering so much right now that he actually called himself "Weasel Man" as he shook all over. Jiro, on his part, gracefully pushed off with one leg and slid back. His staff crossed over his back, and he nearly turned to wave hello to the men and women watching…

When he felt it.

At long last…the horrendous flaming power casting about became "distinct"…far to the side of town.

He had retaken his body.

Jiro exhaled at that. Now was where things got _really_ tense. Time to see if all of this could help them prevail against more than a mere "minion"… He worked fast. He only looked to the men watching him for a moment, and then gave a wink and a grin before waving his staff at them. After that, he spun around and quickly "slid" out, back through the gutted gates that Itachitoko had left in his wake. As he went, he quickly swung his staff around him, causing thick ice to grow up in his wake, filling the breach from the broken gates and soon solidifying and thickening. In no time at all, the "gate" was back and then some as he sealed off the way with thick ice that reached all the way to the top of the wall.

After that, he iced over the ground a bit more to let him slide further out…but it wasn't long before he couldn't make any more that didn't immediately melt and vaporize. With that in mind, he quickly wrapped himself in as much cold as possible, even as the heat grew larger and more intense around him. Soon, whatever wasn't already burning or burned around him lit aflame and began to roast steadily. Jiro paid none of it any mind. He was feeling the source…and soon, even with his power, the heat grew rather oppressive. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel scared too, looking up to see what was responsible coming.

He looked bigger and "darker" than ever before…more so than he had ever had in his past incarnations. Even his first form. The giant flaming orb overhead looked a bit smaller now…burning a little less…but, to his displeasure, it was still much hotter than it was during his first appearance. And soon, the cause slammed down in front of him…likewise burning and raging more than ever.

Shitakarahi in his molten, magma form.

As the demon slowly raised its head, the eyes coming from it seemed to try to burn Jiro just by looking at him. He was sweating quite a bit now just from being this close to the monster…but also from beginning to feel genuine fear. He had taken "hits" from this thing before, after all. And now that his memory was coming back…he was starting to remember his torture while imprisoned with him. They weren't memories he _wanted_ to recall…

_"__So…you defeated the 'student'…"_ Shitakarahi began to say as he started to rise. _"Ready for the 'master'?"_

Jiro didn't answer…just tried not to remember what happened 300 years ago as his face lost its smile and his staff braced in front of him.

Yet even as he did, something arose around both of them…something that made Shitakarahi look up as well. Far down the lane leading up to the palace, a raging, blinding wave of snow, looking almost like an avalanche, bore down on the two of them. The demon turned and looked, just as it reached them. Rather than sweep them both away in an icy deluge, the cloud rapidly wrapped around both of them together, surrounding both in a swirling blizzard. Yet that was only a moment…just long enough to blot out the sky and anything else, before it expanded around both of them and spread to a distance…creating a wintry "enclosure" surrounded by storms, snow, and cold. Everything inside was dark and cool, while outside…only a great white cloud was visible to the world.

Shitakarahi looked at all of this, and then looked forward again, as did Jiro.

_"__Very clever…"_

There was no answer save howling snow and wind for a moment…but then something began to emerge. A dark shape walked forward, feminine and clad in a kimono. Moving forward a bit further, it emerged out of the storm and into the clearing.

Eiko's eyes were already focused on Shitakarahi, and one of her hands was up and pointed at him.

The demon, in turn, fully turned to her and gave his back to Jiro. The frost kami wished very badly that was an opening…but even now, he could sense that it wasn't. If Eiko got the chance to "cool his exterior", it might be possible for him to land a hit or two that the monster would actually "feel"…but the fact of the matter was the greatest contribution he and the Jido no Hogu-sha could make to the fight had already come and gone…energizing the people with positive feelings.

As the queen came to a stop, the demon's teeth barred.

_"__You think I didn't figure out what you were planning?" _He hissed. _"You were going about this city trying to 'steal' my power and add to yours. That's the real reason that you did this just now…" _He raised a claw and gestured about himself. _"Keep anyone from seeing the flaming demon responsible for all of this and drive them into further despair. I'll give you credit for cleverness…but you were stupid to think the only reason I hadn't stepped in before now was because I was 'foolish' and blind to what you were doing._

_ "__The fact of the matter is I can feel the disparity between us shrinking…so I intervened while it was still large enough to where I don't need to worry. What more…the heat I'm radiating off of me would vaporize this snowstorm in an instant normally, so the only way you're maintaining it is by keeping your focus on generating it. Add to that the fact that you've been training only a few days instead of a few years as your past lives did…and do you really think even after having frustrated most of my plans that you can finally 'triumph'? The only solution for you is to die sealing me away like your past lives did…assuming you can even manage _that_. And even if you do…"_

The monster gestured behind him, right to Jiro. The young man showed nothing, but sweat a bit more at that.

_"__I'll just take the one you love with me yet again. In 300 years, you will once again have forgotten everything, and I'll just do everything again…drive you into pain and misery again and again, for all eternity, until your immortal soul finally 'breaks'…"_

"And I see what _you're_ doing." Eiko shot back. "You're trying to drive me into despair so you can have more to feed off of. But that's one way I always 'beat you' through all the ages. No matter how much you tried to scare all my past lives and how you hung the thought that I was going to die over their heads, I always still managed to seal you away, didn't I?"

The demon paused on hearing this. Jiro began to step back, realizing this wasn't his time to "make a move", but he couldn't help but smile a bit at how she "got him" with that comment. He only hoped that didn't make him mad. Lots of bad memories were coming to the surface…about how this had played out again and again…

_"…__Enough talk." _Shitakarahi spoke after a moment. _"Let's do what we came here to do, my foe."_

At once, with almost no advance warning, the ground underneath Eiko exploded into magma with the intent of burning her away into nothingness. For a moment…Jiro thought it had succeeded. He hadn't had a chance to tell her about that, after all… Yet the snowfall and coolness that she had brought with her had brought her a precious half second, and she quickly aimed her hands down and froze beneath her. The end result was launching her into the air like a strange "magma geyser", but she cooled off the lava before it had a chance to singe her. Not giving her a chance to "breathe", however, Shitakarahi held up a claw and let five different streams of fire rip out from them and straight for her. They didn't follow a "straight path" either, but rather seemed sentient in their own right, even sprouting flaming "snake heads" which "sought her out".

The woman quickly leapt off of her perch, just as the fire snakes smashed into the pillar, and both ripped it apart and melted it in an instant. Yet Eiko went sailing right for the demon, both of her hands out, summoning her power, and soon unleashing a pair of ice beams right at him. Shitakarahi seemed to be expecting it, however, and quickly leapt into the air, unfurling his burning wings, and using his power of flight to carry him far above the range of the woman. Eiko herself was forced to quickly shift her hands down and generate a pile of snow beneath her, rapidly creating a cushion to keep her from a hard impact. Yet seeing her at the mercy of inertia, the monster overhead used the moment to open his mouth wide and unleash a blazing, blinding beam of fire right for her. If it touched it would annihilate her…

Eiko tensed on seeing that, no doubt feeling the searing heat before it struck, but she quickly rolled onto her back, aimed her hands up, and fired beams of cold to counter it. A moment later, she cried out as the fire slammed into it, immediately making her arms buckle, sending jolting pain throughout her body, and letting a wave of fire blast all around her. She kept a "zone of cold" about her, but it was all she could do to maintain it as the heat vaporized the snow about her and began to melt the ground away into magma. Meanwhile, she strained and sweat as the demon lowered his elevation and applied more and more fire… She felt her body quivering and stressed, felt the magma about her continue to glow and to start running into the hole she was in… It seemed it was just a matter of time…

When, gritting her teeth, she managed to move one of her "pinkie" fingers…and a lance of ice formed in the air above Shitakarahi, the tip long and dangling near his neck. A moment later, she swung it down, and it cast right for it. Snorting, the monster snapped his head off of Eiko and let his beam of fire shoot around and annihilate it. Seizing the chance, Eiko quickly summoned more power to make a wedge of ice form "beneath her", actually pushing her body up into a stance, and then quickly ran for it, causing more ice to freeze the magma under her feet. Following that, she applied more of her power to make a "walkway" for her to run on, allowing her to get elevation and off the ground. As for the monster, he whirled back to her, meaning to discharge the blast again, when she held out her hand and sent a storm of snowflakes right in his face. He ignored those at first as they blasted against his eyes, nose, and mouth, but as he took a deep breath…he suddenly gagged. Those hadn't been snowflakes, but tiny "diamond dust" shards, and by inhaling to breathe fire, he had drawn it into his magma "lungs" and choked. Apparently, the cold she gave off was enough to make them entire and cut into his throat to irritate it.

Giving a dull hiss of annoyance, the demon finished gagging and looked to her as she continued to run, seeming to move in a large "arc" around him. However, he glared at her only a moment before he exhaled again…this time letting out a cloud of hot ash, some of it still gleaming, to make a cloud right for Eiko's path. The woman reacted in surprise…a bit to Shitakarahi's annoyance. Most humans were stupid enough to see a "weak" cloud like that and assume it was safe to move through…not full of particulate matter that was burning hot. So he failed to "catch her" like that. Nevertheless, as she tried to cool it, it still struck her and sent rather warm bits of ash into her eyes and lungs, and soon she cried out and gagged, inhaling more in the process, and bent over and shielded herself.

Jiro tensed below on seeing that, thinking she made a fatal flaw. Instantly, the demon surged at her, raising a massive fist meant to crush her and the "icy bridge" she was making around him. The woman was blinded and stunned, and so she seemed like an easy target. But just as the fist began to come down…suddenly, without moving at all herself, she "shot along" and continued to make an ice bridge, carrying her out of the cloud of foulness and letting his fist sail by and smash through nothing but ice. Her own bridge had more "supports" so she didn't worry about falling, and soon, out of the cloud, she cleared her throat and cracked her eyes open.

The demon paused, and looked to her feet. Both were "braced" in ice…and it seemed her power was "pushing her along", preventing her from needing to actually move her legs.

None of her past lives ever had a move like that…

_"__Clever…"_ Shitakarahi hissed, before opening his mouth and discharging another blast of fire.

This one threatened to blast Eiko and destroy her bridge at the same time. It came so fast and sudden, and she was still recovering from the last move, that she had no time to react. Instead, she tried to run forward to overshoot it. She managed to do so…but the blast annihilated the bridge behind her, shattering her path and sending her falling for a moment…flailing all the way. Yet she swung out her hand again…and a pillar of ice rapidly grew underneath her from the ground and "caught her". While she was still running and getting her balance, the bridge formed again before her. Growling, Shitakarahi raised both hands and sent out not five but ten of the "fire snakes", each one lashing out faster and stronger than ever. Soon, they were annihilating everything around her, and shooting for her as well. As the bridge she formed rapidly broke into sections, in spite of her best attempt to create columns to keep it together, one blast caused such thermal shock that it actually erupted, launching her into the air.

Yet even as she rose and flailed again, she managed to reach out one hand for the ground and brought up another pillar to intercept. The demon nearly rushed forward to smash this, until he saw the woman put something else in her other hand…a length of ice chain with a mace head on the end. She quickly swung it around even as she went higher into the air and, as she descended and alit on the new bit of ice, tossed it forward like a sling end. The demon merely looked at this, and then stood his ground…increasing his heat, bathing himself in flames, and ready to show her just how little this attack meant to him.

Moments before impacting the fire, however…the monster got a shock as the mace head suddenly grew ten times as large and far more thick, blasting through his flames and smashing him in the face. It lost none of its "momentum" from this gesture, and still crashed into him full force, actually jarring the demon's head to one side and sending him reeling back. As Eiko quickly made not one but two "bridges" to run on this time, the burning monster was knocked partially to the ground, and spat out a wad of molten blood.

Yet he soon recovered, showing some distinct anger now at how another "new move" had caused him pain, and soon the flames peeled off of his body and began to form balls of fire all around him, each one burning so hot they were gleaming to the point of blinding. A moment later, and they all rocketed out at both Eiko and her multiple bridges. Each one that impacted immediately exploded, sending fragments of magma everywhere. The daimyo reacted in shock, and was hard pressed to counter the furious assault. The woman wasn't nearly as "motile" as Jiro, and so she was mostly running short distances and jumping as best as she could, randomly and wildly generating as much ice around her as she could to try and keep her balance. But Shitakarahi was bombarding her with so much fire, and each explosion was rocking her while sending up flaming, sizzling chunks of debris, that it was all she could do just to keep her footing. Soon, the flaming explosives got too close, and she was forced to bring up her arms to start generating ice shields to try to keep it back…

That, however, was the monster's cue to once again open his mouth and discharge another flaming blast again, larger and stronger than the others, which slammed back into her shields and her current bridge, blowing both up in waves of heat that immediately made some of the ice boil. Some of those sizzling fragments came back and splashed on Eiko, melting through her own ice kimono and being held close to her skin. As the force ripped her back, she actually cried out in agony…before slamming into one of her own ice bridges. Jiro gaped again on seeing her actually crumple around it, wondering if that had broken something serious, before she went to the ground like a stone. She didn't have the senses or bearing this time to protect herself. She slammed down against it and lay there.

Immediately, the flaming demon took a bit to the air again, going into a hover, before raising his hand. In another moment, Jiro realized what he would do. He would summon a magma spike to impale her through the back…or maybe just consume her with lava. Looking to Eiko, he saw she was conscious, but she moved stiffly, shaking, clearly injured both from burns as well as trauma after that last move. Yet still…she snapped her hand up and aimed at the demon.

In response, his flame intensified, meaning to smack down whatever counter she managed. Yet no projectiles formed from her hand. No mace or lance. He held a moment, and then looked about him, trying to see what attack she was trying. For a moment, he saw nothing, and turned back to her thinking this was some bluff…before he saw it. It began to quiver all around him. Each piece started to move. And it was all about him…right under his nose…

The demon actually registered some surprise…as he saw that Eiko had been making her big "attack" this entire time. By circling around him, making that ice bridge, he was now surrounded by a half dozen broken bridges with columns of ice, to say nothing of the fragments. Jagged…heavy…and combined together to be something even he couldn't deny… He only had time to have his own burning eyes look stunned…before all of the pieces of ice shot "inward" and smashed together around his body, coming in and colliding so loudly that it sounded like a thunderclap, and it shook the ground and the foundations of the buildings themselves.

Far overhead, unseen by most of the city…the giant flaming orb distinctly shrank a dozen feet in radius before holding steady.

Jiro, in spite of knowing it was far from over, risked feeling a bit of enthusiasm. He wasn't sure how Eiko had managed it. Maybe her years of isolation allowed her to 'dream' even if she couldn't act. Maybe the combination of factors was making her more creative. Maybe…maybe now that she was accepting herself as the snow goddess…and that people were accepting her as well…it was increasing her power somehow…but she had managed to pull out a number of moves Jiro had never seen before, and it was effective. Everything they done had been. In spite of all of Shitakarahi's tricks and methods, she had actually managed to put him to his limit…started "taking pieces out of him". He was actually losing some of his energy… He was far from beaten, but with this latest move…so long as his body was cold…

The frost kami hoisted his staff as he looked around. The ice boulders that surrounded Shitakarahi, with him in them, collapsed to the ground. Yet inside, he knew that the move had "cooled" his body momentarily…left it open to something besides Eiko. He had to seize on it…and hopefully do a lot more, because he noticed they didn't have reason to "breathe easy" yet. As soon as Eiko had pulled off that move…she immediately sank back to the ground. He could tell her own power was at the breaking point. She wasn't just putting all of this effort into it. She was maintaining the storm as best as she could and trying to supercool all of her attacks so that they didn't simply evaporate before hitting Shitakarahi. Yet he saw something else as well that was encouraging…

Emerging through the storm, seeming a bit "frostbit", but no worse for wear…the other three came in. Nobuyuki stood tall as he stomped into the area, his body already transformed into a bear. Takeshi had already split his own kunai into ten as he hopped out of a shadow. Takara had both hands on her jitte and was tightening her grip as she flew out of the snow, wings going full speed.

Jiro spotted them, and immediately gave a nod. He didn't have time to explain that they could only afford to get in a few licks until Eiko managed to cool him again. Instead, he quickly dashed in.

_Time for some payback…_

As the frost kami darted inward, the ice broke apart, steaming and beginning to melt…but not nearly as quickly as it should have. Emerging from it, flames breaking out on him, hissing and spitting, was the full form of Shitakarahi. He snapped to Jiro as he neared, seeing the young man running right for him. Instantly, he snapped open his mouth and discharged a blast of fire his way, so intense that it melted the ground in its wake. Quickly, Jiro leapt to one side and iced his approach, then let his inertia make him continue to slide and near the demon. In response, the beast turned his head and blasted at his new path, but Jiro quickly made a "ramp" of ice nearby that he slid up and around, and then pivoted off to duck under the blast, some of his hair getting singed, and kept approaching. In response, with him nearly to him, the monster pulled his wings wide and began to heat again, raising both of his hands and soon firing off the ten flaming snakes again.

But he had fortunately forgotten something about Jiro over the past 300 years, that he had been "running forward" to try and help him forgot…the young man could fly. In an instant, he shot off the ground and went for the demon like an arrow bolt. The snakes thrashed around him too late, missing him completely, and as he shot by the surprised demon, he swung his staff around…and took only a moment to fill it with as much power as he could before "expanding" the end to become a deadly ice scythe, and swung it forward through his side.

Even in his current state, it was like striking stone…but Jiro had both speed and force in his blow, and it managed to cut into it and spill more of his burning magma blood. The monster actually bellowed in rage as Jiro went by, the heat from the blood alone making him dizzy…but satisfied at what he had done.

A moment later, Shitakarahi snapped around and flung a "fire bomb" at Jiro, and with his back to him, the young man managed to swerve to one side, but still cried out when the bomb went off nearby, detonated, and smashed into him with both flaming bits and heat, snapping him out of the air and throwing him to one side. Yet even as the demon did this, he heard something coming in from the side, and snapped to it…just in time to see the raging Jolly Bear bellow forward and swipe his claw out for his face…smashing him both with incredible force as well as the long nails. With his power, the demon's face barely shifted…but the nails managed to go in and rake for swipes across it, drawing more hot magma blood. Still bellowing, the bear swung his other paw forward and raked the other side of his face, able to knock his head a bit more and draw even more claw swipes of magma…

Furious now, as Nobuyuki reared back to slam him again for all he was worth…the demon shot out and seized him by the neck and, in spite of his side, yanked him off of the ground. Soon, the bear was bellowing, for even "cooled" the monster began to roast his flesh in his bare hands. He swung him around and smashed him hard into the ground. Once…twice…

Yet as he reared back to do so a third time, his fire increasing and his exterior becoming more "molten"…the Tooth Dragon flew in, gritting her teeth, ignoring his radiating heat, and smacked her jitte against one of his teeth as hard as he could before he could react.

_"__GAAAAH!"_

Now, the demon bellowed in true pain as its fire flickered, and the sphere in the sky lost another ten feet in radius as it staggered back; its entire body writhing in pain and misery. Yet its anger flared with its pain, and soon it was igniting into fire more intense than any blaze mankind could make, and the raging flames caused Takara to cry out in pain of her own and recoil as he spilled back…unable to withstand the heat, and the monster, wracked with pain, raised its hands to sent forth the fire snakes again, the tips of its fingers cooling in order to do so for a split second…

And in that split second, the Ghost Hare erupted from the shadow Takara herself cast. In spite of the raging heat beginning to burn his own clothes just from being so near, he threw his kunais again. And while there was one "true" kunai that would have been melted away…the "phantoms" that it broke into were part incorpeal, and went through and forward toward the fingertips of each one of Shitakarahi's ten digits. He cried out again as more magma blood erupted from a bit of muscle and ligament in each fingertip being severed. The fire snakes "died" before they could even arise, and he bellowed in more pain as his fingers recoiled.

He wouldn't be doing that attack again…and the great sphere overhead shrank a bit more.

Unfortunately, with this sudden infliction of pain, the rage of the demon grew even farther. Takeshi barely got his original knife back before he quickly had to backpedal as the ground erupted, pillars of magma breaking out everywhere…a repeat of what happened back at the palace. The temperature of the area rapidly began to flare, and Shitakarahi stood his ground and summoned more and more heat to himself, his skin finally igniting again and flames beginning to pour off of his body. His face was tight with rage as magma ran down it, his crippled hands being held out to generate more and more heat. As it did…the storm around them began to lessen and thin out, receding. Fire began to gather in his palms as well. Jiro, who had managed to rise again, but was still sore from being struck by the debris, to say nothing of burnt, looked up and tensed. As the others recovered, they did too. He was breaking through the storm…and getting ready to unleash his full force on the city. He had to know that they were too powerful from what they had done, and so he was going to "tip the scales" back in his favor by letting the city see him in his full hellish glory…before he started burning it all down…

Yet before the storm could collapse and just as the fire was ready to launch, a "crackling" sound gathered quickly in the air…and some of the fiery light was beaten back by an icy blue glow. Shitakarahi, mad with rage, didn't notice this until now, but as he looked down, he saw Eiko, in spite of being tired and sore, managed to get to her feet, aim both of her hands at him, and fired off another tremendous blast of cold "energy". She actually wavered as she did so, and began to falter again, still pushing her limits. Yet she had also waited until now to do this…when he was summoning his power up and all around him…but not focusing it anywhere. He had left himself open. He barely had enough heat about him to "protect him" from the cold rays as they plunged through his heat and smashed into his torso.

The demon cried out again as he staggered back not one, not two, but five steps. He was forced to abort his attack and cross his arms in front of him again, and dig his feet in to withstand the power. Yet although Eiko weakened herself nearly to the point of collapse again, she forced her power on…and took a lot out of him too. His flaming hellish sun shrank dramatically, more of its power being spent, more of the world slowly getting "cooler". Jiro, able to stand again as the demon's heat was suppressed, managed to look up and out and saw his body cool again. Ice even briefly formed on his arms protecting him before melting again.

_Press it!_

Quickly, before the cold beam gave out, Jiro rushed in, again icing the ground to give him more momentum. He quickly spread his own power over his staff to coat it with ice, as well as spread it to the others to hopefully keep them cool…as they too ran forward and into the fray. In moments, Eiko fell, and Shitakarahi was free to look down again…but they were on him.

Jiro was first, and swinging his staff around like a bo, he brought it down heavy on one of the monster's claws for feet, letting out a cracking sound from his toe. He actually bellowed and recoiled, allowing Jiro to leap up into the air and swing his staff around in a circle four times, each time smashing it against the head of the demon. And each time…it knocked him a little more, and drew a bit more magma. As he alit on the ground, touching down again, Shitakarahi immediately snapped back and opened his mouth wide, ready to incinerate him…only for Takara to fly in and smash his teeth again. Once more, he aborted his attack and cried out as he backpedaled…and Takeshi used the moment to fling out his kunais again slice through the muscles behind his heel. Losing strength in his legs rapidly, the flaming demon spilled back and collapsed to his knees.

Quickly, he pressed his hands down and struggled to rise again…but Nobuyuki charged into him first, lunging forward with all of his power, and driving his thick skull right into Shitakarahi's…fracturing the crust that was his skin and causing him to spill back. Like a rabid animal, the Jolly Bear swiped his claws again and again at his face, hitting him for everything he was worth. And this time, the demon's head actually snapped one way and another, more magma blood sputtering out as he did.

Filling with rage again, his heat increasing, the monster took a fifth blow to the chin before spreading his wings up and rising to full height again, swinging one of his own long arms and claws for Nobuyuki. However, the Jolly Bear backpedaled…and swung to one side, revealing Takara rushing in again. Before the demon could react, he was struck in the teeth again, and once more cried out, paralyzed with pain and agony. With that, the Jolly Bear quickly hunched over…making himself a platform. Takeshi, having put up his knives, quickly rushed forward and leapt onto his back, and used him as a launching platform to leap for the monster's head. He cocked back a leg as he did so…while, at the exact same time, Jiro , having charged his staff with icy blue energy and thickened it as much as he could, came in from behind.

An instant later, Takeshi delivered a kick to the face of Shitakarahi that would have driven a fissure into a mountain, while Jiro struck him in the back of the spinal region with the strongest blow he could manage. Two resounding cracks went out as one as the body of the demon was bent into a "curly shape" from the two blows.

Both men landed and snapped back soon after. Takeshi's foot was now burned and he limped on it, while Jiro had nearly shattered his staff. Nobuyuki and Takara pulled back as well and watched. The demon remained twisted in a writhing, agonized position, seeming to be paralyzed for a second. Yet slowly, he managed to pull himself free of it, straightening his body again. While he looked in distinct pain…his heat was growing again, and his face was more furious than anything. He readied for another attack…only to stop again.

Eiko, quivering all over, had managed to rise…and had used her power to not only make a descending ramp of ice…but had put a massive, capped, spiked, battering ram of ice on top of it…and now she let it go. The huge, icy implement of destruction rolled down the ramp, and straight for Shitakarahi. The demon didn't have time to do anything before it smashed into him, ripped him backward, and actually yanked him back along the ground before crashing into the ruins of a wall segment with a resounding boom.

The daimyo staggered forward, gasping and panting. While it seemed as if those gestures should have been "easy" for her…she was still putting everything she had into each one. Nothing less would work against Shitakarahi. And in spite of the fact that the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were getting in their "licks", Jiro knew the only reason they were even able to land a blow on the monster was because Eiko's attacks cooled him long enough to enable them. Normally, they all would have burned away trying to even get close. And the truth was their own hits had "hurt" themselves, and they were getting tired too from all the running around.

The Laughing Frost looked to the sky. The sphere was diminishing more and more…but it was still there. He had no idea how much power he still had to spare. He was weakening…but so was Eiko. So were all of them… By now the hellish sun was roughly the size it was when he awakened normally…but Eiko's past lives had faced off against him at full power in these situations and still only managed a "draw". Now she was nearly out… He realized that the positive feelings they had made had done a great deal…but he began to fear it had only made them "even" at best…

Suddenly, the ice ram exploded, again the result of thermal shock. Flaming wings erupted from the wreckage, and a moment later Shitakarahi took off and into the sky…gaining more altitude this time. Yet he didn't try to attack the group. Rather, he went high overhead, running right into the thinning storm clouds and toward the open heavens…toward his own flaming sphere…

The group began to "knuckle up", drawing closer together, and looking nervously at this latest change.

"What's…he doing…?" Eiko managed to call out to Jiro.

"I don't know…but being up there, people can see him…" Jiro uneasily answered.

Shitakarahi continued to grow higher and higher, until he finally reached the flaming devil sun. By now, he was rather small from what the group could see, but they could still make him out for the most part. As they watched, he extended one of his claw-like hands and placed it against the sphere.

A moment later, the world rapidly grew cooler as the demon sun began to contract again, rapidly growing not only smaller but cooler. Night began to roll in again as the fiery day was erased, and Eiko's power grew in such potency that it nearly turned into a cold snap, forcing her to quickly retract some of her own power before it afflicted the group badly.

Takara turned her brow. "He's…stopping his own heat?"

"Far from it…" Takeshi answered. "Take a good look at him."

Jiro already had his eyes on him, and realized the Ghost Hare was right. He wasn't removing the sun just for the sake of losing it…he was absorbing the remaining power inside it. And the effects were instantaneous. Already, his body was covered in fresh fire and his skin like fresh magma. It was increasing in heat and power more all the time. His body actually seemed to be growing a bit larger as the sun shrank, and Jiro knew, with that much energy flowing into him, if he had been hurt before it had to be healing up now. Parts of his body were soon emitting so much heat and flames that they were as blinding as his previous sun…

"That can't be good…I thought we were winning!" Takeshi shouted, before looking to Jiro. "What's he doing now?"

"I've never seen him do something like this before!" Jiro answered. "He's 'tied' to that flaming sun he always makes, but this is the first time I've ever seen him absorb it before!"

"I don't want to scare anyone…but I can already feel him getting stronger than he was when we started…" Takara gulped.

"I don't need 'senses' to tell that…my skin feels like it's crawling as-is…" Takeshi grimaced.

"He's getting desperate." Nobuyuki stated. "He's putting everything he has into this… But unfortunately…I don't think we can withstand it…"

"I'm not sure…_I _can withstand it…" Eiko panted as she struggled to stand tall, and raise her arms again. "All of you, get back…I'm the only one who can-"

Unfortunately, at that moment, Shitakarahi finished absorbing the sun, and then heaved and roared…a voice easily heard through the blizzard…before he suddenly swelled in size. His previous injuries closed up as heat poured out from him, and his already nightmarish musculature grew worse as his wings grew broader and wrapped in flame. That wasn't all, however. The "points" on the wings suddenly shot out to the ground like his "fire snakes" did before…and immediately swelled to monstrous size. The group gasped and quickly moved to take cover, but it wasn't aimed for them. Each one impacted around them, surrounding them on all sides. The heat pouring off of them was so oppressive that they nearly began to burn right there…and would have if Eiko hadn't immediately surrounded them in her power. Even then…it was almost stifling. Yet even after that was done, the ground around them quickly lit up from the heat streaming into it, and soon eruptions of lava began to fire up all around them.

"Just like back at the palace…" Takara uneasily stated.

"Damn…if I could just see a shadow…" Takeshi growled.

"No good!" Jiro retorted. "If you get far from Eiko now you'll be incinerated in an instant!"

Another roar sounded over head, and the ground looked up….just as Shitakarahi snapped his head down and exhaled a blast of fire…quickly swelling bigger and stronger than any of the previous ones he had used in this battle. Gasping and gaping, Eiko quickly held up both of her arms, summoned forth enough strength to make her "light up" in icy blue, and then fired back. Yet as her beams went up and slammed into the heat…it simply pushed it back and kept coming. Seeing this, and feeling the heat rapidly increase, Eiko grit her teeth, dug her feet in, and applied more power. The beam slowed…but still came. In spite of her protection, everyone began to sweat bullets and feel like they were inches from an inferno. Eiko closed her eyes, grunted, and kept pushing…and finally managed to stop the torrential fire…a mere 20 feet from impacting.

And once there, she was locked in.

The Jido-no-Hogu-sha, helpless to do anything, could only draw as close to Eiko as possible. Jiro himself knew his own power was nothing compared to this. He looked to the daimyo and saw her putting everything she had into it…perhaps already converting her own life to try and stop it… Shitakarahi, on his part, merely continued to blast. He wasn't straining that much…able to keep bathing them in his hellfire. By now, every bit of energy he used had to be "taking some out of him", but he was so strong after everything he had done that even with all the work that Eiko had done, she was still outclassed when it came to this. Although she was pushing and struggling for all she was worth…Jiro knew this.

He knew if she had the luxury of focusing on him directly, she might be able to do it. But she didn't. She was trying to protect them from being incinerated, and she was trying to maintain the storm…and failing on both fronts. The wave of magma drew closer and closer and as it did the heat grew, weakening her further. It was slowly "speeding up"… But worse than that, the storm around them was still breaking. The buildings and building ruins were starting to become visible. Right now, Jiro knew, the only hope they had was if more people "supported" Eiko…but not only was there no other source of that, soon there would be a new source of despair…

Somehow, in spite of the attack, with him holding his mouth open and discharging fire, Shitakarahi managed to speak out to them.

_"__For all your work, you only postponed the inevitable. Choose how you wish to die, woman… Either fail in strength and burn to death instantly along with your friends…watch them slowly burn to death around you until you're all that's left…or simply wait until your storm fails and the people you worked so hard to 'encourage' fill with despair and hopelessness again…refilling my power and sealing your doom."_

Jiro began to grow tense; not for his own life…but the fact that soon it was going to happen again. There was no way out of it this time. Eiko was focusing her power in too many different directions. She couldn't get in a "surprise move". But even if she could…they were dead. Nervously, he looked to her, but already saw her going to one knee as the fire overhead drew closer and closer…began to become burning…

"J…Jiro…" She managed to speak quietly. "I…I can't…can't hold…"

"He's on his last legs too, Eiko!" He tried to encourage her. "His power's fading!"

"Mine's…fading…faster…" She answered through grit teeth. "I'm…going to shift my power…make an escape route… All of you…get ready…to run…"

"No, keep hitting him!" Jiro answered. "Hold out!"

"He's right!" Takeshi shot back. "We can't escape him or finish him alone, Eiko!"

"But…he's still too strong…" Takara moaned back.

"Then I'll take it!" Nobuyuki shouted. "On the count of three I'll jump in front of the fire! My body may hold out long enough for the rest of you to flee…"

"We can't 'flee'! There's too much heat!"

Eiko continued to buckle and fall, hitting one knee. After that, the fire lowered further. Soon, they'd feel themselves light on fire again. Jiro knew they had to do something, but he couldn't think of what. The heat was so oppressive it was already draining them and his own cold couldn't stop it… He readied to put everything he had into it anyway…

When, suddenly, Eiko gave a cry…and stood back up again. The heat over them suddenly raised a bit, the cold around them pushed out, and the storm began to slowly "rebuild" again.

The group was shocked, but none of their shock matched that of Shitakarahi.

_"__Wha…what?! That's impossible!"_

Jiro himself looked to Eiko, who managed to relax her teeth and open her eyes again, putting out more and more power…and slowly pushing the heat back. The magma flows began to die down slowly again. The others stared as well, and Takara blinked.

"Eiko…your…your power is increasing again! And his is going down!"

"Don't ask me how…" She grunted. "And don't distract me…I'm still putting everything I'm getting into this…"

Jiro stared at her a moment, and then looked around. Somehow, more people had to be putting their faith in Eiko. More people had to be filling with hope. But how was that possible when…

Then, he saw it. Right before the storm grew thick enough to blot out the city of Kyoto around them, he made out something filling the sky.

Ribbons of golden dust…spreading throughout the entire city…

Jiro quickly reached over and tapped Nobuyuki, then pointed to the sky. This alerted him and he looked, and when he did the others did too, and they saw it. It was almost inconceivable that Satoru could have emerged from his cocoon so quickly, reborn into a new body. Maybe he somehow managed to "speed along" his own rebirth, knowing the urgency of the situation. Or maybe Akiko was somehow generating enough positive feelings back in Arender-ken to power him up… It was a mystery to him, but it didn't matter. All that mattered right now was he was bathing the entire city in his special dust, hitting as many as he could, and each one the dust fell over, in the middle of this dark and stormy night, fell asleep and began to fantasize about their greatest hopes and dreams. They were teleported into a world of happiness and joy, one where there was nothing to fear and only wonders to behold. The surge of positive energy from such a thing was unmistakable, enough to push her "back in the lead".

Eiko continued to grow in power as she "reestabilished" the blizzard. Although she was sweating and groaning, she got enough to hold her arms up high and steady. And Shitakarahi, who began to put more and more of his own power into his beam, to where he too began to strain and struggle, and his own heat slowly began to fade…was unable to keep the beam from still coming. Jiro continued to watch the struggle and "examine" the power, and he saw while both of their respective powers continued to lose energy…Eiko's was now lagging significantly behind Shitakarahi's. His power was ebbing quickly…reaching even with Eiko. Then, at long last…he felt her power _surpass_ his.

On seeing this, he finally risked feeling joy himself.

_She's doing it…_

_She can win this time!_

Shitakarahi's body began to "darken" again. Even the muscles he had just inflated himself with began to shrink. The divide between the two slowly began to grow…the look in the demon's face actually growing desperate. Jiro knew he had to do something soon or he would be doomed, like one of his surprise attacks…like making the ground go…

_Oh no…_

Jiro suddenly snapped his head to the ground. While the magma around them had cooled and subsided, and Shitakarahi had even drawn his power back from his wing tips…he noticed the ground right beneath him was beginning to heat up. In fact, it was doing so behind all of them…

"Break!" He shouted desperately.

The others, including Eiko, heard this, and wondered why he had shouted…but none of them held still. All of them split apart. Each dashed in a different direction. Eiko herself kept her arms up, wondering what this meant…when she managed to feel it. At odds with her nature, she felt intense heat at her feet. Quickly, she broke off her attack and swung a hand to the ground as she moved, quickly covering it with ice…before it exploded. Bits of magma and lava erupted like a volcano was blowing up, meaning to incinerate them all. Yet thanks to Eiko's last minute move…the lava cooled back into rocks the moment it issued forth. However, many of the bits were still hot, and everyone still cried out as they were launched into the air, thrown in every direction. Takara was launched into a tumbling spin before being smashed into the ground almost head first. Takeshi was caught by a boulder that smashed him into a free-standing wall. Nobuyuki braced himself as a rock column let out a resounding crack from smacking into his limbs. Jiro got the worse…the ground beneath him heaving him and smashing into him with such force that he was not only launched into the air, but stunned too much to fly…and as a result landed hard a moment later with a rough impact that hit him back and head first…dazzling him and leaving him stunned and sprawled out.

However, the one who did the best was Eiko herself. In spite of being at her own limit, she had cooled the ground beneath her far faster and stronger than the others, only being heaved a bit into the air. She still had to cut off her blast, and Shitakarahi immediately increased his power, pushing himself past his own limit, and firing again to quickly try and overwhelm her residual "cold energy" and then obliterate her. But even now, the queen wasn't letting her guard down fully. Her other hand went up and swung out, sending a ripple of lightning-fast mist right up for Shitakarahi's body. The demon was so intent on blowing her away now that he couldn't react or summon his power to guard. He could only stare as the mist separated on nearing him, condensed, and formed two large razor-sharp blades of ice that connected with his joints connecting his wings. To his shock and agony, magma blood…much cooler now…suddenly erupted from both sides as his wings were cleaved from his torso.

Bellowing in pain, Shitakarahi aborted his attack again before his body, robbed of even more power and bleeding freely again, began to fall to the ground. As for Eiko, she slumped, gasping and panting. That last move, combined with her "energy struggle", had been so intense that she could barely keep herself going. However, even now, her power was far greater than Shitakarahi's. There was a clear divide at this point. She only needed a moment to catch her breath and then it would be finished… The demon knew this even as he flailed and fell to the ground. She had just robbed him of even more strength. He couldn't regenerate the wings. And he wasn't sure he could kill her with another discharge of power. Even if he could, he was growing weak enough now to where the Jido-no-Hogu-sha might finish him…

Yet thinking of that made the monster stop flailing. While his burning face was filled with hate and anger…it looked away from Eiko. The snow god looked up to him, expecting him to be focused on her for one final attack, to put everything he had left into it. Yet instead she saw his eyes were elsewhere.

At the fallen body of Jiro.

Immediately, his teeth flashed wider as he managed to "adjust his fall" to aim for him, and then swung his body down with the intent of driving his whole body into his. He outstretched a flaming claw, putting all of his might into it, clearly meaning to "take him with him"…

Seeing this, Eiko's eyes filled with horror. "NO!"

The sound of Eiko crying out made Jiro grunt, and then crack open his own eyes. As he did so, still stunned and wracked with pain, he managed to see, and feel, a horrendous inferno headed right for him. Shitakarahi, the last of his power coming out, was bearing down on him with his claw outstretched, meaning to impale him. And he realized he couldn't dodge. His own power was failing. His body was too weak to move. He managed to pry himself off the ground a bit, but that was all as the monster neared him, its face wild and hellish…

When, suddenly, a icy blue blur shot in front of him, and he felt hands charge into him and shove him violently to one side. It was rather weak considering the power of a yokai, but for a human…it managed to shove him ten feet to one side. He actually tumbled a bit as he did so, rolling over and ending up on his back. He looked back to see what had happened, and caught a glimpse of Eiko…having run forward, stretched out, and having her hands aimed for him…

Before Shitakarahi slammed down on her, burying all five of his flaming claws through her torso in five different places.

Jiro's jaw dropped…but he said nothing. He couldn't. The world, for a moment, seemed to go silent as he saw her stretched out…pierced not just in the chest once but in five different ways. The fire and smoke began to pour over her from the monster…and all the frost kami could do was gape. The pain before inside him that had just begun to fade as his joy returned…now came back full force. The memories of seeing this again and again started to rush into him…

_No…after everything we've done…it can't be! _

_Not again!_

His lips began to quiver as his eyes shimmered. He couldn't move. Even with the hellish heat of the demon pouring over him, and the smoke filling his lungs, he neither tried to "shield himself" or moved to get away. He couldn't. He could only stare as he felt his own heart tearing in two…

Shitakarahi, however, was grinning more than ever.

_"__You think you'd be used to this by now, you little snowflake…" _He hissed at him. _"I really have to thank you. In the end, you ended up being a 'greater ally' than Itachitoko. You would think after you got her killed 300 years ago you would have learned…but it seems your inane affection for the half-mortal has served me well again. I knew all I had to do was go for you to get her to sacrifice herself. Look on the bright side…you finally put an end to our eternal struggle. In the end, all you managed to do for the woman you claimed to love is seal her doom and ensure my-"_

Suddenly, the monster gagged, being cut off. As for Jiro…his eyes snapped open wide as his tears dried up…shock replacing his sadness.

_Ten_ different spikes of ice had impaled Shitakarahi from behind and through the chest.

His body rapidly began to cool and condense around them, the "coldness" seeming to spread out as the spikes held firm, not melting or ebbing. The demon could only blink in astonishment, unbelieving what he was seeing. Yet after a moment, both he and Jiro heard a weak, yet firm, voice speak to them.

"He also…inspired…a few new 'tricks'…"

The two looked…and saw Eiko still in the exact same place she had been a moment earlier. She had fallen to one knee again, but she managed to look determined and keep her arm aimed at Shitakarahi, keeping the ice in his chest cold.

The demon gaped in astonishment for a moment, before he turned and looked down to what he had pierced. Jiro did as well. As the heat diminished, so did the smoke and fire in that limb. And as it went dead…it revealed an icy "statue" of Eiko in a perfect likeness, formed in the position of running and dashing out to push Jiro out of the way.

A decoy.

Shitakarahi's face continued to remain twisted in disbelief as the heat around him ebbed further, going from an inferno to a warm blaze. The light in his eyes began to dim. Suddenly, grunting, he raised his arm out of the statue and turned it to Eiko…

In a flash, although she cried out in pain from doing so, the daimyo raised her other hand, and blades of ice came out and severed both of his arms from his body. He tried to cry out, but only gagged, coughing up more magma blood. It was already condensing into rock when it came, and ended up solidifying down his chin and lips. Eiko's eyes were fluttering, and she fell back down to one arm, being forced to put her other hand down to brace herself. But her one hand remained positioned at Shitakarahi. His severed limbs fully cooled, and then crumbled, much as his unseen wings had when they landed. The rest of him rapidly continued to cool and solidify.

Weakly, he turned his agonized head to her. Talking was getting hard with his own blood thickening in whatever he had for lungs, but he glared hatefully at her.

_"__You…you can't…win… Humans…will always…be selfish… Will always…hate winter…and love summer…"_

"It doesn't matter."

Jiro looked up to that again, as did Shitakarahi, and the weakening Eiko. He soon saw Nobuyuki coming forward, back in human form, with Takeshi at his right and Takara at his left. Even as that happened, he heard something "tingle" behind him, and turned just in time to see Satoru's new body…looking only slightly taller than the last one…emerge from the storm and walk right up to him.

"You see it now yourself." Nobuyuki continued. "The world doesn't have to love Eiko. Only a fistful of humans…ones filled with wonder, hope, dreams, and memories of childhood…can give her more power than all the despair you've managed to gather for centuries. And as long as we're here…we will ensure there are always humans that see the beautiful side of winter and embrace it, and her, completely."

Jiro blinked and looked up to this…knowing what this meant. However, he only saw the Jido-no-Hogu-sha turn to him with smiles, both of reassurance…and of support. The frost kami, seeing this, lost his own fear, his own joy and happiness growing. Managing a smile back, he grunted and pushed himself to his feet. As he did, he held his staff out, and once again summoned ice to the end of it…turning it into a massive hammer.

As for Shitakarahi, he continued to shrink and diminish, becoming his old "statue's shape". Finally, Eiko cut off her power to him. She didn't need to hold it anymore. The ice was more than cold enough to finish him. As he finished condensing, she raised her hand to Jiro instead, shooting her power into the "hammer" he had made, causing it to glow with power and turn so cold that it began to snow around Jiro as he advanced on the demon. As the monster ceased moving, his eyes dulling…frozen in one last look of fear…he gazed out tensely…even fearfully…to them.

_"__You…can't… I…I must…"_

He could say no more. He fully solidified.

"Sorry, 'old buddy'." Jiro answered as he hoisted up the hammer. "The pact is broken. This is where the legend ends. See you in Hell. You've kept them waiting for you for a long time…"

The frost kami swung the charged weapon around and smashed it into the statue of the monster, transferring the essence of Eiko's power into it…and instantly shattering it into millions of pieces. The group shielded their faces as dust fragments erupted all around them, immediately being scattered to the four winds, and a resounding boom and echo went out that "blew away" the blizzard as Eiko finally released it, revealing the clear sky and city again.

As the thunderous echo faded…only a small pile of dust was left of Shitakarahi. Eiko's residual power immediately made a gentle snow fall all over Kyoto, with flakes forming "in thin air" rather than from clouds. The night sky was clear…lovely, dark, and deep…with just a tinge on the horizon of the true sun's light beginning to come. A breeze, cold…yet refreshing now…blew by. In spite of being summer, it seemed oddly "pleasant". People who had begun to gather around the storm, much more hopeful now, much less fearful, looked into what had just cleared. Those in the palace nearby looked down from the upper floors, staring at what was left in the wake of all of the chaos and rancor. And yet…the night was quiet and peaceful. The snowfall was not considered an abomination or horrible…but like some gentle, kind presence gently "hushing" everyone, reassuring them that the nightmare was over and everything was alright now.

The Jido-no-Hogu-sha, all weak to the point where they wobbled a bit, still sporting burns and fresh injuries, slowly exhaled. Eiko, on her part, closed her eyes, lowered her hand, and began to collapse…

Hands and arms kept her from doing so, grabbing her instantly and supporting her. She was gently lifted up again, but the arms drew around her and kept her up without requiring her to put in her own strength. The snow god was weak and drained…but she still lived. She let out a small noise, then turned her head up to who had grasped her. Her eyes slowly opened again…

And saw Jiro staring back.

The two just looked in each other's eyes for a moment. Both were too tired to do anything else. But slowly…they began to smile as they realized what they had done. It had taken thousands of years…prior to recorded history…but in the end they had triumphed. Shitakarahi was not only beaten, but beaten for good. What more…Eiko still lived and drew breath. After years of one "draw" after another, she was alive. More than that…after years of being forced to be apart again and again…after years of having to watch her die horribly again and again…the cycle was at an end. The "curse" was at an end. The two were finally together.

Realizing that, it wasn't long before Jiro began to cry again for a new reason even as he smiled wider and wider. By now, he didn't ever fully 'believe' this day would come. His heart and soul feared too much that he would be forced to watch her die forever… Yet slowly he realized that it was over. And Eiko, after having lived in despair and fear so much in her life, and having resigned herself to the thought that she could die like all of her previous lives…felt a joy in her heart that her soul had been subconsciously "unwilling" to accept for so long: that there was nothing left to fear…that her power had been a gift and not a curse…and that she could finally be with Jiro without a future full of dread and pain.

She began to cry tears of joy as well…until finally, in spite of her weakness, and hugged Jiro more tightly, and the two kissed more strongly and passionately than they ever had in their thousands of years of existence.

* * *

_To be concluded..._

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

* - "Tenko" is the proper name for a nine-tailed fox, a fox that has lived 1,000 years and has gained incredible power as a result.

** - In Japanese folklore, the rustle of a weasel sounds like six people hulling rice, and so it's called the weasel six-person mortar.


	14. The Megami and the Kami

Jiro had a lingering desire to blow this off…especially in light of what had just happened. There were still some last minute details to wrap up back in the proverbial "world of humans". However, he knew it couldn't be that simple. Over 300 years ago he had "walked out" on the orders of the gods. He wasn't sure if they had intended it all along, if somehow he would have made the connection this time of how to break the pact with Shitakarahi and give Eiko her true power even without the events leading up to it, or if they had intended for him to do so this whole time and it was all part of a master design.

But any way he looked at it…he realized that a bit of "luck" had to have been on their side, and he guessed that it was a bit more than luck. Shitakarahi couldn't have gone to such elaborate lengths to plan for every contingency for so long only to throw all caution to the wind in his final moments. He had never been "honorable", and he could have annihilated Eiko instantly long before he was pushed to his own limit and made everything for nothing. Even not considering that, Satoru should have been in his cocoon a lot longer than he was, especially considering all of the power that he lost. And even barring that…Jiro had just happened to look at that ice wall in just the right way at just the right time back in the remains of the palace to see that there was something on the other side that could save Eiko. And he knew what all of that meant.

He had prayed for help, and the gods had granted it…which meant one other thing.

Even with his own power, it took Jiro some time to go back to Fuji. He could only fly so fast, and frankly he was ready to collapse and sleep for about three days (preferably in a bed with Eiko, but that was besides the point). Yet he still had energy "pushing him on" from the need to return. He had to help her out with "one last challenge" after all, and he intended to be present for it. He was asking a lot both from her and the Jido no Hogu-sha to try and "stall", but considering everything they had been through over the past few days, it was only a bit of a stretch.

After a time, he finally arrived at the mountain. The sun was rising by then, and had already cleared the horizon. Not exactly his favorite time of the day for "conversations", but he was happy to see that the old volcano was still frozen atop of it. He loved being in "natural snow" for a change rather than powder either Eiko or he made. Not that it wasn't "pleasant"…it just helped put him at ease.

With one last pass to the top, again riding the wind, he swept his body around and gently alit. He moved to put his staff over one shoulder "casually" as he always did…but in the end put it down at his side. For once, he didn't want to seem disrespectful. After a lengthy pause, he bowed down to one knee, keeping his head lowered.

Silence. The wind slowly blew by. He paused a moment, keeping his head low, waiting in the silence and solitude. After a time, he cracked a smile.

"…I suppose it's too much to ask that you let all of this happen just to have the 'little prideful frost kami' finally get on his knees before you, isn't it?"

More silence, before he snickered again and raised his head.

"I guess you could say I'm still getting used to this whole 'honorable respect with discipline' thing."

He held a moment, but then lowered his eyes and smiled a bit more.

"Oh, but she's _not_ a human, remember? She's the Yuki no Megami. And me being the 'frost kami' that I am…maybe I _am_ showing honor and respect by bowing to her. Anyway, I didn't come here to look for more opportunities to be disrespectful. Before I decide what exactly I want to say to you…I want to know. Why didn't you just tell me and her how to stop him thousands of years ago? That we had to get people to embrace her as a god and reject him?"

There was a long period of silence that Jiro remained there kneeling. The icy wind continued to whip by him. Some might find it harsh…he found it peaceful. Even wonderful. The cold feeling was so refreshing. He almost felt like he was being restored by letting it come around him. Yet after a while, he kept his head lower and smiled a bit more.

"…I suppose if you had told me that was the reason before this all started, I wouldn't have believed you myself. I was tempted to think the burden for all of this was on Eiko. That it was she who needed to embrace her real nature. But no…when I saw her on that hill looking down…and saw those people still screaming in fright of her even now…I realized all of her self-doubt and fear didn't set her apart…it just made her 'one of the norm'. And you're right. I _wouldn't_ have noticed it otherwise. All her life I encouraged her mindset, in all of her lives. I taught her how to control it so that she wouldn't let others see it…never realizing I never got them to see what she was and how wonderful she could be. I selfishly 'kept her to myself'.

"It was the Jido no Hogu-sha who taught me the power that comes from helping others…that this world isn't just 'gods and mortals'. I think…no, I _know_ that there were times even now I didn't really care if Eiko froze Arender-ken completely so long as I had a 'wintry paradise to play in'. And if Eiko had beaten Shitakarahi before, I know that's the sort of life I envisioned for us. So no…I couldn't just expect to run around ordering people to 'worship Eiko' or 'love Eiko' and expected to beat him that way. It wasn't enough just to know 'what to do'. We had to learn to embrace the Yuki no Megami starting from the perspective of distrust and hate…so that we could show everyone else the same way."

He grinned.

"So…teaching me to be more 'mature' too, eh? In that case…"

He trailed off a moment.

"…Does that mean that everything I did, including my rebellion, was 'planned for'? And that we can leave it at that?"

There was a period of silence…before his smile faded a little, his face growing a tad "sadder".

"…Can't blame a guy for trying…" He muttered. "No, I didn't forget what I said back when I desperately tried to keep her warm. I said if there was any price you demanded of me that I'd pay it. And that's the other reason I came up here."

He inhaled deeply, and slowly exhaled.

"…I'm ready for it."

There was a pause of silence during which Jiro heard no more than any other mortal would. But after a time, he began to hear a response. He couldn't help but snicker at first.

"A choice, huh? To think I used to knock you guys for not being 'generous'…"

Another pause, and he snickered again.

"Well, I'm already hating that option. I'm a little afraid of what's the second one."

More silence. He gave a laugh after a moment.

"Are you kidding? That one, of course. You guys _have_ been watching me and her for thousands of years, right?"

His smile faltered a moment later when they began to respond. However, it didn't fade all together. When they spoke, Jiro got a faraway look in his eye. He hesitated, thinking about all he was hearing from them. Not only in his mind, but in his heart and soul. And when that happened, his smile nearly vanished again. It wasn't just words. It was thoughts…the life he had…everything about him that he enjoyed. He was quiet for a time once again.

In the end, he managed to smile again.

"…First time for everything, right?" He answered…a bit more quietly than he wanted. However…his thoughts were on Eiko. The beautiful lady he had "chased" on and off for thousands of years. Nothing else had mattered in the 300 year gaps. He had merely wanted to sleep and await her rebirth every time. He had no life aside from her and the Jido no Hogu-sha now. With that in mind, his resolve was strengthened. He knew…this _was_ what he wanted more than anything. The alternative would only leave him feeling hollow until the end of time. He rose to his feet at that, and looked again to the sky with a smile.

"We'll make it work. Between a god and a kami, nothing's impossible, right?"

He turned and began to move off, reaching down only to pick up his staff.

He froze on hearing something that made him frown. In an instant, he wheeled back around.

"Hey, wait a second! That's too much!" He protested. "You're punishing her as well as me now!"

He stared at the sky silently a moment. As he did, his face slowly faded. It became a grimace…but also an understanding look as he slumped.

"I guess offspring between a god and a kami is something none of you are willing to risk, huh…" He muttered. "I don't suppose any of you could try and put yourselves in the shoes of a mortal daimyo who's a woman for a minute, could you? I've lived among them. I know how they judge. How they hate and condemn. How they look for things to latch onto. They accused her of being the spawn of a yuki-onna before she ever manifested her power…"

He sighed.

"…Could you _please_ cut her just _one_ break?"

Silence.

"Simple. I always want to be able to come running when she needs me."

There was a long pause of silence after that. When they did speak again…they did something that made Jiro grimace a bit…but not so much as what they said as what it meant. However, in the end, he swallowed a bit, and then gave a nod.

"…Agreed. How long do I get to tell her the situation?"

He sighed a moment later.

"Just have to make it a 'scenic route' trip then..."

Taking up his staff in both hands, he got ready to take off…but then paused and looked back.

"Eiko's going to need me one more time, but…before I head off, one more thing."

He smiled a bit.

"Thank you for helping her live this time."

With a flurry of snow, he was gone.

* * *

The reception in Kyoto wasn't exactly as "warm" as one might think once things began to calm down. Ironically, it might have worked out better if Eiko had just smiled gracefully, surrounded herself in a cloud of snow, and then vanished "as mysteriously as she arrived". And a part of her wanted to do that. But…she realized that now that Shitakarahi was gone, she was going to spend the bulk of her time living as a mortal again…as Queen Eiko of Arender-ken. And for the moment, she knew the case as it stood. Word had gone to the capitol about what she had done, via Nakamura. How she had brought down an unnatural winter on the country that had rapidly begun to expand outward and threatened to freeze all of Japan. And Nakamura, while he had ended up realizing that the murder was not her fault, had never passed on the truth about that matter. Nor did that change the fact she had brought the threatening winter. With that in mind, she reined in her power, removing the snow as the sun rose and leaving only her kimono of ice (for she was nude otherwise), and then came before the palace gates. The rest of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were right behind her the whole way…save Jiro, ironically. He said he had to run off and do one more thing before he could be by her side. The others encouraged him to go. After all…they were down to 'mortal' opponents now, and weakened as they were they could probably handle things.

Soon after, Eiko turned herself in before the shogun and the emperor himself. Being an honorable woman, she said she wished to answer for her misdeeds in spite of what she had done.

There was a great deal of confusion for some time…and no small amount of disbelief when Eiko professed that she was the Yuki no Megami; an individual who was half-god, half-mortal. Few could dispute it, however, in light of the power they had both seen her wield as well as what she could do even now…although there was still no shortage of individuals, many of them holding high positions in court, who accused her of being a yuki-onna or an ice demon. Distrust and prejudice was not so easily cast aside. However, one thing was certain: the treachery of Itachitoko. He was drug in; a miserable, shivering, pathetic excuse of a man. The shogun, not willing to give the onmyoji the "honor" of seppaku, had actually petitioned the emperor to allow a special case of crucifixion for him although it was normally reserved for familial crimes. Barring that, slowly roasting him to death in the dungeons over an open flame would be nice and "ironic". But before it came to that, a confession was choked out of him. It wasn't hard. As vile and acidic as his tongue was in regards to Eiko, the truth was he was a coward at heart without his wicked power. He admitted to framing Eiko for the murder of Taguchi and his men, as well as coercing the now-deceased Hachiro, who had tried stealing Eiko's power to become a tyrant himself, into assisting them. The Jido-no-Hogu-sha themselves collaborated with the story…and while some court officials insisted that it was unheard of to take the word of yokai…the truth was the people of the city, even many within the palace, were still in awe of their saviors and talking about the beautiful Yuki no Megami who had delivered the capitol.

However, the fact that they didn't even bow to her humbly for insulting her honor by accusing her of the crime in the first place meant they still intended to pursue a 'harsh' penalty for the winter.

That, in turn, brought the matter to a little after midday. As the citizens of Kyoto went about the long task of rebuilding, there was a closed-door court in the main palace. It had never been so filled with soldiers and samurai, all of them staring at Lady Eiko and girt for war…seeming to think she would try something. The emperor was seated at his place, and the shogun at his side not far, even if, for all intensive purposes, it would be what the shogun would end up rendering saying that 'went'. And he _was_ acting as the judge in these proceedings. As for Lady Eiko herself, still clad in shimmering ice, she was seated on her knees and at a distance, bowing her head to the ground.

"…And that is when I turned myself into your custody, my lord." She concluded her own story. "To sum up my defense, there is little I can say other than all that happened. I will not 'split hairs' over the law or ask you to completely ignore my crime in the face of my actions this morning. It is true that there is no law that prohibits my direct actions, but I am not so foolish or such a strict adherent to expect that I should 'be cleared' simply for that reason. The truth is I _did_ cause harm to Arender-ken and to your kingdom. My father always said to value my honor and integrity above all else, just he always valued his honor and integrity before you above all else, my lord. Which is why I have come before you as I am now willingly. The only matter I ask you to consider is my reasoning for not turning myself into you sooner. I would have only caused more damage both to Arender-ken and to you, my lord. I had no choice but to impose exile on myself. Otherwise, I would have gladly turned myself in when the incident occurred."

The defense concluded, there was a moment of silence in the room. In truth, there were a few faces in the chamber sympathetic to the woman clad in ice before them, who were clear enough see the truth. However…Itachitoko and Hachiro had not been the "minority" in the kingdom. Even Nakamura didn't initially look on Eiko with trust and, even though he was more "even-minded", he had always thought Arender-ken would prosper far better under a male ruler than a female. That thinking dominated the court. In spite of seeing the wonders that had been performed, the very fact that Lady Eiko was literally wearing a garment of ice, and one could feel the cold radiating off of her…the thinking struck fears of the supernatural. Some in the court had been enamored by Eiko's winter and looked on the woman knowing that she was a power for good and not evil. Yet even some who had reached that conclusion felt twinges of other things inside them…hatred of witches…distrust of women with power…and unease at having a daimyo who was both a female and possessed sufficient power to overthrow the kingdom whenever she wanted…having to rely simply on her "good will" to ensure that did not happen. After all, this whole thing started because her will "shifted" to something negative.

The shogun turned eventually to the emperor, and the two exchanged a few looks and words almost silently. However, there weren't many passed in between them. Afterward, the shogun looked forward again and folded his hands.

"Lady Eiko, after hearing all of the testimony that has been presented, I do not think anyone here would still accuse you of the murder of Lord Taguchi or his men. Nor will there be any charges for the death of the dishonorable Lord Hachiro, who will be stripped of his titles and holdings and be assigned a grave among traitors. Nor would anyone deny the great service you have done today both to the kingdom as well as to myself and the emperor. A great many people in this city and this country owe you their lives."

He inhaled deeply and straightened himself.

"That said…your crimes cannot be overlooked; accidental or otherwise. The fact that you brought such a sharp winter down on Arender-ken that nearly expanded outside of the boundaries to the rest of the country may not have a legal precedent...but it did undeniable harm. Not only to others, but to your own people. There is no telling how great or widespread the after-effects of your early winter will be on the crops or on the rest of nature as a whole. Even with it over, the effects may be long lasting and widespread for everyone. To say nothing of the fact that, based on your testimony, you cannot ensure it will not happen again. And you did, in fact, attack other samurai and soldiers under my rule. Many of them were badly injured and crippled. As one of my vassals, you should have known better, even if trying to protect yourself. These things cannot be tolerated among those who serve the emperor, no matter the circumstance. As great a favor as you did, I do not want to set a precedent that so long as 'intentions were good' all forms of lawlessness are allowed."

Eiko swallowed a bit, but said nothing. Fear was beginning to creep into her again, although she managed to keep it under control this time. She slowly straightened up from her bow back into a sitting kneel, folded her hands in front of her, and met gazes with the Shogun. His look wasn't too pitying or warm. It wasn't harsh either…but she knew what this had to mean.

"Therefore, I recommend to the emperor that you be given neither incarceration, torture, nor death as punishment…but that you immediately have your rank stripped and bestowed upon Lady Akiko, and you yourself be exiled from Ja-"

The doors to the back of the chamber shifted. At once, everyone turned, Eiko and the shogun included. The guards began to go for their weapons even as it cracked enough to reveal the form of Jiro, looking cleaned up after the last battle but still with injuries bound, smiling and walking in. However, he did pause in the threshold long enough to drop into a one-legged kneel.

"Forgive me, my lords, for being so late to the proceedings. I'm glad I came here to give my own testimony before judgment was passed."

However, neither the guards nor the nobles gathered were happy to see him. The shogun raised a hand to indicate for them to remove him, while he spoke out critically. "This is a conclusion to private proceedings and it is an imperial offense for an out-"

He cut off at that…for the doors opened the rest of the way, pushing back the guards who were there by sheer force. On one door was the massive Jolly Bear, not looking very "jolly" at the moment, and the other was the Ghost Hare, doing it one handed while he threw his kunai up and down in the other. Flanking Jiro on either side was the glowing Sand Moth and the fluttering Tooth Dragon, neither of them looking too friendly either. Jiro, on his part, smiled innocently as he rose.

"Surely the emperor would like to hear the testimony of all parties involved before passing along a just verdict." He said with a shrug.

The presence of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha was a veiled threat, obviously. None of those present knew they could do anything to stop them. And even if they couldn't fight their way out of an entire palace filled with hundreds of soldiers, that meant little to those in the room with them. Even those who grasped their weapons swallowed and sweat at the thought of drawing them. After a few moments of tension, the shogun looked to the emperor. He too showed a hint of unease, but gave a single nod. The guards backed off, releasing their weapons, and the five were allowed to enter, although the Jido-no-Hogu-sha only went just inside and let Jiro walk in further. Eiko, the whole time, was transfixed on him, wondering what he was going to say.

"Thank you, my lord." The Laughing Frost stated as he entered. "I'll be brief in exchange for you sparing your time." He advanced until he was at Eiko's side, and then dropped to a kneel next to her. Only when he did that did Eiko, hiding a bit of red, remembered herself and turned fully to the shogun again. He didn't look to her at this time, but focused his own attention on the emperor.

"As the rest of my companions have, no doubt, already given you more of a full account of the items that 'matter', I'll shift my focus a bit." He began. "I'll start by saying that I respect your choices. I respect that you have a law of the land that has both a code of honor and doesn't make exceptions on whims. An ordered society needs that, after all. And you know me…I am not human. Neither am I yokai. I am a kami. Yet I have respect for both you and for the shogun this day because Lady Eiko is showing you respect. You should know without a doubt that there is no greater noble in your service present in this room or anywhere in Japan more devoted, more dutiful, or more honorable than Lady Eiko.

"It is because this noblewoman is so humble and honorable that she isn't speaking in her defense more proudly, no doubt to boast of what she is. But you should know full well from any honest report that such things are true. How she's rendered justice faithfully for these past seven years and increased the wealth while uplifting the poor in Arender-ken. How she's used both cleverness as well as wisdom to ensure the prosperity of her kingdom and peace in that region. How she has never said a word against you or the shogun. On the contrary…" He looked to the shogun. "At what point ever did Lady Eiko fail to give you all of the honor and fealty that her father gave you and more besides? It is true that she did cause injury to your men, but not one lost their lives at her hand. That dishonor goes to the court onmyoji who worked as hard as he could to poison the heart and mind of Lord Nakamura, an honorable samurai in your service who gave his life without hesitation to save both myself and Lady Eiko, and who, before dying, declared her completely innocent of any wrongdoing in spite of having personally felt her cold and power. And can you really hate her for those injuries? If any men have been permanently hurt, you can rest assured that Lady Eiko will make good on whatever deficiencies or crippling injuries they have sustained from her own funds. But can you condemn her for the crime itself? My lord, how many wars have you been in where your foes who rose up against you lost arms or eyes, and were expected to make peace with you afterward? Did you owe them any recompense? Did the emperor owe any to you or your men when you were injured for his sake? Was it not rather part of your duty? An effect of defending yourself?"

He gestured to Eiko. "If you need further proof of the faithfulness and honor of Lady Eiko, what more do you need than seeing her humbly on her knees before you right now? You know full well, each and every one of you, that Lady Eiko is a god. I can see some of you are scared even now to be in her presence…not out of awe or respect or reverence as you would be before any other god…but out of distrust and fear. Yet is any of that fear justified? Her ladyship not only has fully humbled herself before you, but each and every one of you saw what she did to preserve and defend Kyoto, at the risk of her own life, last night. Some of you I can see recognize both her greatness as well as her gentleness because of this. But to those of you who don't…" He paused a bit her, dropping his tone a little. "Look outside. Go through the streets. See how many hundreds…how many thousands…are rejoicing in the wake of the Yuki no Megami. How they're praising her and loving her. How they see winter as a thing of beauty and a blessing from her hand now. How thankful they are that she came and defended them from the demon and saved this city and likely the entire country."

His tone dropped a little more.

"…Are you really going to chastise her for this? Punish her? Make everyone out there feel that the shogun repays those who risk their lives in his service and prove their honor and faithfulness with condemnation and exile? With good and not evil?" His eyes narrowed a bit. "And are you planning on doing so secretly, in this shut-up room, not even letting all in the castle know of such things…like she was a thief or murderer? After all, when I came in and immediately began to ask everyone I saw in the castle about where Lady Eiko's trial would be held, so many were surprised that she was even still here…"

Now, the faces in the room changed. Some were rather angry…but most were uneasy looking. It had been true that there had been an attempt to "exclude" the public. Some of the nobles claimed it was so that they wouldn't have biased decisions, as the people had seen only Eiko's gifts and not the accidental winter in Arender-ken, although it was more than clear that they were truly doing so out of fear and sexual prejudice to ensure the decision would be biased in _their_ favor. Now, however, that knowledge was being made public…and soon rumors would spread like wildfire throughout both the castle and the surrounding city that the savior and benevolent snow goddess that had come to Kyoto's rescue was being treated like a criminal herself. No one, not the emperor or the shogun, wanted to hear that.

"Besides…" Jiro went on. "Would exile truly be the best course of action? If you banish Lady Eiko from Japan, no matter where you send her, no matter how far…you can rest assured that many of those people who saw the power she wielded and partook in some of the wonders of last night will follow. Artisans, farmers, warriors, merchants…who would not want to live in a nation founded by a benevolent goddess? Surely, you've seen that she has more than enough power to keep her people safe from all threats. What country could withstand a winter that she could unleash? What navy could pass through a sea of ice that she could generate? What army could stand against a force of invincible ice warriors that she could build? Why…any country in the world that had the power of the Yuki no Megami on their side would be safe from all threats…" Again, his tone dropped. "…and any country foolish enough to oppose it would meet a swift, cold end."

Now people were really tensing…Eiko included. She looked a bit nervous at what Jiro was saying. However, the frost kami knew better. The people who were _really_ getting nervous were the nobles. It seemed they were still mistaking Eiko for an average woman in some regards. But they should know better…namely that they were dealing with a god and they should never forget that. The anxiety they had of her was only leading them to prejudice, distrust, and a bit of irritation. Now…Jiro was pushing it up to the realm of fear and reverence. He smiled a bit more as he went on.

"Also…while I don't feel this should have any bearing on any verdict, but I just felt like contributing…my respect for this kingdom only extends as far as its respect for Lady Eiko…as does the rest of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha's. While we are, by right, now free of any criminal prosecution and innocent of any crimes against this kingdom, per our agreement with Lord Nakamura...I should make it known that we owe loyalty only to Lady Eiko, and only through _that_ do we owe loyalty to the empire, although our only crime before now was rooting out injustice and oppression that the shogun did not do on his own…just as Lady Eiko has done with the corrupted onmyoji."

The shogun tensed at this, his face turning to a bit of anger.

"Should this empire turn against Lady Eiko, I will renounce any loyalty I have to it as well as will the rest of my companions…" He smiled a bit more craftily. "…And we will all see this as confirmation that this empire does indeed take those who love and respect it more than anyone and does with them as it pleases out of fear and ignorance. Such an empire is corrupt and dishonorable to its core…and will have us as its eternal enemies."

There was more anger at this from around the room, but not one dared say a word. After all…the Jido-no-Hogu-sha were in the room right there and now, and, thanks to public opinion, had managed to walk right into this chamber without resistance. They didn't dare anger them here.

Jiro "lightened up" after that, and then turned his head a bit.

"So please, my lords…in spite of Lady Eiko's honor and your well-established justice system…this whole thing has been rather 'unconventional' to begin with. I mean, is there really any law against 'bringing winter' to Japan? Do you think you could make an exception just this once in light of everything she's done for the kingdom?"

Silence from the room, but no one was as focused as "straight" as they were before. Even the shogun, for all of his anger at some of the thinly veiled threats, couldn't put on too brave of a face. Instead he exhaled slowly, and turned and looked to the emperor. He wasn't much better. As he looked around through the chamber, he saw that most of the nobles before who had been in favor of inflicting the sentence on Eiko had gone silent, even a bit wan. No one raised any more objections or tried to contradict the words.

Finally, the shogun exhaled, seemingly in a bit of defeat, and looked back to Eiko.

* * *

"Please don't ever do anything like that again…" Eiko said, still shaking a bit, but smiling as well.

"Just ensuring justice was done." Jiro casually answered, crossing his staff behind his head as he walked. "I mean, for goodness sakes…you can't really feel you deserved any punishment after everything you've been through and everything you've done, Eiko. Or that what you did didn't 'negate' it. Come on." He gave a shrug. "They should have given you a horse or a litter while they were at it to take you back to Arender-ken."

"No thanks. After so long being shut up in my chambers, I like stretching my legs."

"Yeah, well…" Takeshi spoke up. "See if you're still saying that in two or three days. You _do_ know it's going to be a while before we get back to Arender-ken, right?"

"That's alright too. I like being up and out of the castle for a change."

After hearing Jiro's "testimony", the emperor and shogun agreed: there would be no sentence for Eiko. Instead, the emperor bestowed one of the empire's highest honors for her great service to the kingdom. However, that ceremony was private. And though everyone gave the official greetings, it seemed Jiro's last speech had spared Eiko receiving punishment at the expense of earning a bit more distrust and chagrin from the higher ups. But that meant little to her so long as she was safe to return to Arender-ken and was still the vassal of the shogun. After all, Arender-ken had gotten on peacefully for many years without needing imperial intervention, and would continue to do so now.

The greeting outside was far more warm and welcome. Numerous children who had received gifts as well as families who had their fields saved by the combination of Eiko's power and that of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha came out to greet them and celebrate them. Many knelt before Eiko while the younger generation asked for more displays of power, and she obliged them by creating a few flurries and small "ice houses" for them to play with until they melted. Some were even building shrine statues and emblems for Eiko, clearly intending to erect temples in her honor, but she refused this sort of praise, calling herself a human like the rest of them. A few offered gifts to her as signs of appreciation, which she accepted as to not seem ungrateful…although she honestly didn't know what to do with them. After all, getting back to Arender-ken was still a problem. In spite of being honored in the royal court for her service, in their eagerness to not associate with her more than they had to, the emperor hadn't given her any sort of royal escort or transportation. They would have to walk all the way back to Arender-ken on foot. Of course, Eiko had a host of powers to make the journey faster, but she didn't want to just "create life at random". The Snow Tenko that she had made alone were filling her with worry, now that the threat of Shitakarahi was gone, that they wouldn't be accepted by the other Tenko, or even that some might be angry with her. As a result it looked like this trip would take a while, and Nobuyuki was left with "baggage duty" of all the "presents".

After walking until the sun was low in the sky and beginning to set, the group had finally reached the outside of town and were back to the fields. Many were still burned, but there was a bountiful harvest piled up in wagons nearby to tide the people over until they regrew. Eiko thanked Takeshi for that, but he admitted that it was also her and everyone else who had helped. By filling the people of Kyoto with hope in their darkest hour, an effort that had required all of them working together, his power was able to fill the burned fields with food. Indeed…all of them had come together to help Eiko win a victory this time, not just Jiro, even ignoring what they had contributed directly.

Finally, at this point, Takara took off into the air and began to flutter.

"I'll fly on ahead to Arender-ken and reassure Akiko everything's alright, then I'll have her send some horses to get us back faster." She said. "It'll still probably take a few days, though."

"Better hurry up and get moving then, eh?" Nobuyuki answered. "Just don't eat all of the pastries before I get back, alright? I hate to think we're living off the land while you have the castle storeroom all to yourself, eh?"

Takara frowned a bit, but her look indicated she knew this was just humor. A moment later, she took off into the sky, fluttered around, and then began to fly much faster than the others were moving back to the north once again.

The Jolly Bear stretched a bit, cracking his back and neck as he finished tucking the last of the gifts into a large pack on his back. "Phew…speaking of which, I had best find something to eat myself. My appetite has done nothing but grow since we left Arender-ken, and those imperial types weren't even kind enough to offer us a bowl of rice. Heh…that's why I don't care to deal with them, although I wish some of the gifts they gave Eiko were less trinkets and more food. Those onigiri were so small they didn't stick with me… I'll be back when we settle in for the night."

The burly man gave one last stretch before taking off, already transforming into bear form. The ground thundered and shook in no time as he dropped to all fours, and soon ran into the nearest forest, his pack bouncing up and down as he did.

"Just the four of us to keep each other company, eh?" Takeshi asked rhetorically. He cast a glance to Satoru. "And only three of us to make conversation."

The Sand Moth let out a jingle with a grimace on his face.

"Sheesh, your new body is sure foul mouthed…" The Ghost Hare answered. "Anyway…I'm inclined to agree. Those nobles could have learned a thing or two from the people in who to show some appreciation to. The least they could have done is given us some food for the trip…"

"They'll be plenty of food and celebration back in Arender-ken." Eiko reassured. "I'm going to be throwing the first festival I've done in ages… I'm sure Akiko will be ecstatic. I'd like to make it last a whole month, but…I think I'll settle for a week for now. You four can have the best rooms in the palace that are still intact. There should be some of my father's best sake in the cellar that escaped the damage…"

"Um, my lady?"

Eiko was cut off in the middle of her plans, and looked to Takeshi. He scratched his head a bit and looked a little uncomfortable.

"…Mind if we settle for the feast and one night of rest? We'll head out afterward."

The daimyo blinked in puzzlement. "…Don't be ridiculous. You're welcome to stay in Arender-ken as long as you like. Forever, if you want. I owe you all so much, as does my sister. Anything you want, I'll be more than happy to give it to you."

Takeshi grimaced a bit. By now, however, Satoru was starting to look a bit uncomfortable as well.

"That's very kind of you, my lady…but really, we'll settle for just having a nice feast and a bed for the night…and maybe the freedom to come visit for another feast whenever we drop by the country."

Satoru gave a jingle as he gestured a bit with his arms.

The hare-eared man gestured to him. "He said that we'd understand if you think we can't speak for Nobuyuki and Takara, but the same goes for them."

This only confused Eiko more, causing her to actually slow. "I…I don't understand…"

Jiro placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn to him. He smiled at her, although it was a bit wistful.

"You're thinking like a human, Eiko, not a yokai." He answered. "Sure, we all like having a warm, soft bed once in a while and plenty of nice food…but that's really not how yokai 'live'. They're wild. They're free. They're one with the natural world. Trying to live among humans, well…it's a little like you when you were living up in the ice palace with the snow oni. You knew deep down inside the whole time that you 'didn't belong there'. You belonged in Arender-ken with the company of your sister, your subjects, and the 'world of men'."

"The kenshusei's got a point." Takeshi chimed in. "Living in a palace…surrounded by humans and their society… It's a 'nice place to visit'…maybe even have a 'vacation' once in a while…but it's not the kind of individuals we are. That's why we roam place to place, through forests and mountains as well as cities and towns. As yokai, we come and go 'between worlds'. We may not be fully 'at home in ours', but we aren't fully 'at home' here either."

Satoru looked a bit regretful as he jingled a bit more.

"And he's got a point too." Takeshi went on. "Everyone in Arender-ken knows you're the Yuki no Megami now. I got a good feeling most of them will accept that or embrace it…but not everyone. You don't need us hanging around making everything else 'stranger' for everything."

Eiko didn't look comforted by that. On the contrary, Jiro could actually feel the air around her grow chilly as she bowed her head and looked forward.

Jiro snickered. "Aw, come on, Eiko. Don't tell me you're getting all mushy and soft on this grouchy sack of-"

"You five are the first people outside of my family who ever saw who I really was…and you thought it was something beautiful rather than something horrible."

Immediately, the frost kami went silent. Takeshi himself looked more uncomfortable, as Satoru winced a bit. They looked to her as she looked back up to them.

"I…thought that after everything that happened…we weren't just partners or 'yokai serving a daimyo'…that we were friends."

Takeshi looked almost cut to the quick. "Well…sure, of course we are, my lady. It's not like this will be goodbye forever."

Satoru began to 'protest' with jingles of his own.

"Yeah, like Satoru says. We'll visit every time we're near. And furthermore…" The Ghost Hare drew himself up a bit. "…We meant what Jiro said when he spoke for us back there. We all agreed. Anyone ever gives you any trouble again, even if it's the shogun, we'll be there. I won't say we're your 'vassals', but…well…" He gave a shrug. "It's what friends do."

Satoru gave a nod in acquiescence.

Eiko held a moment, but she seemed to understand. She was an intelligent woman, after all, and understood that, as close and dear as the Jido-no-Hogu-sha had become to her, they were still yokai. They had to be true to themselves, just as she had learned to be true to herself. After a while, she managed a smile and a small nod.

"Alright…but I'll hold you to that." She answered, before beginning to turn back to Jiro. "Looks like we'll just have to make sure there's a room always ready for them, won't we?"

Jiro smiled back at her…but Eiko's own smile immediately began to fade. The look he gave her wasn't his normal mirthful and fun-loving expression. It was more…whitewashed. Plastered. Fake. She saw that while he was smiling on the outside…there was a sadness inside his eyes. And seeing that began to make her rather uneasy. The silence that lasted behind it didn't help either. She opened her mouth to question this…

The Laughing Frost looked away and gestured ahead. "Isn't that a great view of the mountains? Eiko, what do you say we go over and take it in? The sun will only be against them for so long."

The daimyo was still for a moment on hearing this. Her own heart began to feel fear and unease again. Jiro looked back to her with the same smile…and the same sadness in his eyes. She knew he had to tell her something. And in spite of all of their reasons to rejoice, she realized she wasn't going to like it. After a moment, she swallowed and nodded. Soon after, she took Jiro's hand and let him lead her onward.

* * *

Eiko normally would have loved nothing better than to be where she was right now: seated on a fallen log, gazing upward at the mountain range in the distance with a beautiful sun slowly lowering behind it, and nice and close to her true love. Yet even Jiro's movements betrayed his smile, slow as they were, lacking his usual "spring" in his step. His posture as he sat down on the log and crossed his staff in front of him the way he always did seemed to be a bit of a strain or a stretch. Her anxiety grew, chilling the air about them, as she folded her hands in front of her and kept her eyes on him.

He didn't look to her once the entire time. He merely gazed up at the sky, staff braced across him, and then to the mountains.

"…They're beautiful, aren't they?" He said after a time. "They really do make you feel peaceful. As much as I love snowy clouds…I think I like clear winters when you can see the sun slowly setting even more."

Eiko stared silently back.

"Jiro…"

"Come on, Eiko. Don't they look nice?"

"Jiro, what's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

The frost kami continued to smile as he looked to the heavens, but he didn't move. He simply sat there and stared. Slowly, he inhaled and exhaled. His eyes closed as he bowed his head.

"...I'm really no good at these things, am I?" He said to himself, before turning to Eiko. His smile faded. "Eiko…when I saved you back in that frozen cave, I didn't tell you how I found the hot spring."

The snow goddess said nothing, only focused on him more intently as he spoke.

"The fact is I _didn't_ find it on my own. For the first time in years...maybe ever...I prayed to the gods I serve. I apologized for my disobedience and I promised them anything…if they would only help me save your life. After doing so, I found the hot spring by an act that had to have been divine intervention. The reason I left right after Shitakarahi was defeated was to speak with them about this, and what price they demanded of me."

The woman was more uneasy then ever on hearing that, but she stayed calm. "…And what price did they demand?"

Jiro slowly inhaled and exhaled.

"…Eiko, I love you. I love you more than my own life, my power, or my immortality, and I would surrender it all to be with you. There's nothing that makes me happier than spending the rest of our lives together." He paused and sighed. "…But you are a god. Maybe only half a god, but you're still divine. And I'm a kami. For a god to 'be with' a kami…that's the sort of thing they can't just 'overlook'. They gave me a choice. The first option was that I leave you forever."

The woman looked so fearful flakes of snow actually began to fall. She opened her mouth to speak…when Jiro placed his fingers over it and smiled softly at her.

"Come on." He teased quietly. "You didn't think I went through all that to ever pick that option, did you? No…I picked the second choice."

He slowly pulled his hand away, but Eiko still looked anxious. "What…was the second choice?"

Jiro's smile faded again. He slowly exhaled.

"…I get to be with you, but only three months out of every year."

In spite of how much better this was than the first choice, Eiko still looked anxious. However, before she could protest, Jiro reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke again.

"That wasn't all. I've been given a yokai's life span. I'm no longer eternal like a kami. I can die and die for good. There's more than that besides…but before you protest these conditions, you need to understand it's the only way they'd allow me to be with you. If I said no…well…they're gods. They have a way of 'visiting calamity' on people like us if we try and go behind their backs. But what Takeshi said back there is true too. You're half human, Eiko, so you're at home at a palace or in Arender-ken. But I'm a kami. I long for the natural world…for _freedom_. A part of me wishes it was still you living in that ice palace, free to do whatever you want whenever you want.

"I want to be by your side forever, Eiko…and I swear three months out of every year I will be. To me, the world and all that is in it is next to you. I'm happy being anywhere so long as it's with you. But I can't 'dwell in the world of men' for an entire year by their command or by my own nature. I know I have little right to tell you to take on this 'burden'…and I'll understand if you say no because they're _not_ making it easy on us…but I swear if you accept I'll make every night of the three months out of every year be like a lifetime."

The daimyo calmed a bit on hearing these words. The truth was, as painful as it was…it could have been a lot worse than three months out of the year. She understood the reasoning. And in spite of the fact that her soul was aching at the thought of being parted from Jiro yet again after realizing he was truly the one for her…she could accept what he was saying. She hated it, but she did and realized that, in spite of this, one out of every four days of her life was time to have many wonderful moments. Yet she also caught on what he said as well…

"…What do you mean by 'burden'?"

Jiro's look went sour again…darker than ever. He nearly turned his head away, barely able to keep meeting her gaze. For the first time, _he_ grew fearful. This, in turn, made Eiko more anxious.

"…Jiro, what's wrong?"

The frost kami swallowed.

"Eiko…are you _sure_ you would like to be with me out of everyone else in the world?"

Now the woman was truly surprised. She blinked in astonishment a moment, before reaching out and touching his cheek.

"Jiro…what sort of question is that? I _love_ you. You're the only one I've ever loved and will ever love. You feel like you're a part of me already. I want to be by your side no matter what. If I can be, I'll do whatever it takes to be with you."

The frost kami merely stared silently back as he slowly withdrew his hand from her shoulder.

"…Even give up your future happiness?"

Again, the woman was confused by this, but Jiro slowly exhaled as he explained.

"I told you, Eiko…we're a god and a kami. They're willing to let us be together three months out of the year…and even allowed 'extra' for when I need to come to your aid. They'll let us do whatever we want during that time. Everything except one thing…"

His look grew sadder.

"So long as you're with me, they will never let the offspring of a god and a kami come into this world. You'll be barren so long as we're together."

The woman actually let out a small gasp. Her own hand went rigid and recoiled. "What…?"

"We can't have children together, Eiko." Jiro sadly continued. "We're allowed to…you know…as much as we want, but it will never end up in pregnancy. You can keep making more individuals like Osamu, but…we won't ever be able to have a child of our own."

Eiko held a moment, her face troubled now, but after a time she began to shake her head. "It…it doesn't matter. We can still be together. We can-"

"Eiko…" Jiro cut off as he turned his head away and sighed. "…You're saying that now. But you'll be a virgin queen. You'll have no legacy save who Akiko gives birth to. Ten years from now you'll see her with one child or two or three…and you'll see all sorts of mothers all around you who with strong, happy children of their own. Twenty years from now you'll see them growing into fine young ladies and men, and you'll look at yourself and think back to today…and you'll realize it's too late. You should have said no then. I'll be robbing you of your greatest possible happiness, Eiko. I'll be robbing you of your own unborn children. And for what? To only even see me for three months out of a year? To not even be able to be seen in public places with me without people looking at you with odd looks at why you're with this pale young mysterious man, your own vassal, who only appears for one season out of the year? You've already had to face so much hate, Eiko. Do you really want more along with not having any-"

Before Jiro could say another word, the woman threw her arms around him, turned his head back to her, and silenced him with a kiss.

It wasn't a short one either. It was long and deep. Jiro looked stunned at first as he saw her do this…but over time, as he watched the fair daimyo, eyes closed yet tears running down her cheeks, hug him tightly and continue to kiss him…his own eyes began to issue forth tears of their own. His arms raised and wrapped around her, pulling her tight as he returned it just as strongly.

After a while, both of them parted enough to rest their heads on each other's shoulder, and continued to hold tight as both began to cry.

"I don't know what I'll be in ten years, Jiro… I don't know what I'll be in twenty… All I know is I need you right now." Eiko managed to speak in between tears. "You can't expect me to go on if I say no right now. I've loved you for thousands of years, Jiro…and I'll love you for thousands and thousands more. Finally we have a chance to be together and free of fear and pain. Please…please don't ask me to give you up now…" She hugged more tightly and fiercely. "Please…"

Jiro, his own eyes freely flowing, hugged her tighter. "I won't…I won't…"

"I love you, Jiro…"

"I love, you, Eiko…"

The two didn't say anymore. They only continued to cry and hug. But even without saying a word, they both knew the truth. It didn't matter what was imposed on them. It didn't matter how difficult it would be. They were together now, and they weren't going to be separated again. No matter what hardships lay ahead, be they from society or the world or from anything else…no matter what they'd have to go through to build their own family…or what challenges the years would bring, endlessly taunting them with 'what might have been'…they'd face them.

And just as they had before…they would triumph over them.

* * *

The group ended up "taking their time" getting back to Arender-ken, even when, only two days later, Takara returned with horses for them. Part of the deal was that Jiro would be allowed all the time to "take Eiko home", provided he didn't waste time or try to "cheat" the gods out of this. So, a ten-day journey resulted during which they spent a long time touring the country and only making a little progress each day. The less-used roads through remote villages was their path. As a result, they encountered two groups of bandits along the way. The first tried to ambush them and were taught a prompt lesson by the Jido-no-Hogu-sha. However…the second group was menacing a village; extorting tribute from them. For this one, Eiko insisted on helping. Wrapped in a 'mantle of winter' when she visited icy fury upon them, accenting the power of the Jido-no-Hogu-sha, the people were in total awe of both them and her. They were sent them away with praise and jubilation. Eiko was blushing hard from how "fun" that had been, and Nobuyuki lamented how they couldn't have her in the group as a "sixth member". At any rate, the word soon spread through that village and the neighboring one about the wandering "snow goddess" and her "yokai servants" who came to the aid of people in need. It seemed Eiko's way of making her power "beautiful" had, in turn, changed the hearts and minds of some of the people to favor the Jido-no-Hogu-sha more as well.

Of course, the others could tell that this trip, as stretched as it was, had a note of bittersweetness to it…and not just because there would be a parting at the end of it. Eiko and Jiro were together at all times…always walking side by side, always sitting together…always strolling through the woods with each other every time they found a place to camp. Yet although they were always next to each other when they slept, they weren't able to engage in any more "intimacy". As much as they wanted to, there were "privacy" issues on the road. In the end, they promised to make it all count during their three month period together. The gods had allowed them to pick which months, but…there was no contest, obviously. They chose the entire season of winter. They even ended up getting a bit more for that when it was explained to the others. The Jido-no-Hogu-sha were powerful but, like any individual, didn't like wandering in the snow and cold during the winter months. It was agreed that if they felt the need to have shelter during the winter for a few days or even weeks, they would join Jiro at Arender-ken Castle and reside there until they felt more up to journeying about. This made Eiko happier, knowing that she'd have a chance to see her friends more often.

On finally arriving in Arender-ken…Akiko was already out and running into her sister's arms, hugging her fiercely. As it turned out, a day hadn't gone by where the young noblewoman hadn't made five different attempts to leave the castle and go meet with the others, but was barred from doing so due to being the only member of the royal family still present. Jiro had to admit…she would have been fun. As it was, she had already prepared a massive celebration to welcome Eiko home. It turned out the younger sister had perpetuated the tale of how she defeated Hachiro and saved the kingdom, along with the help of Osamu. Although he looked a bit 'icy', he still passed perfectly for a human and so his word was taken. And now that she came bearing the emperor's signet of doing a great service to him, bringing honor to herself and her fiefdom, the people rejoiced in her return. Of course…no doubt what helped it was the Jido-no-Hogu-sha running through the kingdom spreading their "special gifts" to help repair any damage she had done and leave the country better off than before. It was easy to start...thanks to Akiko's overwhelming innocent and child-like spirit radiating like a blazing fire. Once her effects had gotten things started, it was like setting the whole country's hearts ablaze, soon filling them with enough joy to bring plenty into the kingdom.

The celebration in the castle was open to all, and it didn't take the people long to adjust to the Jido-no-Hogu-sha, remarkably enough. On hearing that they were assistants of the queen, and on seeing the effects they left in their wake, the children were flocking to them, and they ended up bringing the parents around with them. True to her word, the old sake was brought out. And why not? The kingdom would not find better cause to celebrate. There was music, food, and revelry late into the night, now with Eiko freely joining in. She even showed some of her power off to enable the children who had attended to play in fields of snow, and she and Jiro personally demonstrated to everyone how to properly glide on an icy floor, even if she had to give Akiko a bit of a gentle "push" to join in and Osamu had to "take the initiative" to get them all together.

Eiko stayed up later than she ever had. She didn't want to go to sleep. She didn't want the day to end. At one point, she withdrew with Jiro to the same balcony that had started everything. Akiko wanted to know what they were talking about or saying, but the only time she checked was at one point she passed by and looked through the crack in the door, she saw the two kissing. She left them be after that. At length, the queen's eyes grew heavy and she was unable to keep awake. When that happened, in spite of raising some eyebrows, Jiro took her around the waist and personally led her into her bedchambers, long since unused but kept clean by Akiko, placed her inside her bed, drew the covers around her, and gave her one final kiss goodnight.

She awoke late the next day…and found the Jido-no-Hogu-sha and Jiro were already gone. At first, she thought she had overslept and missed their departure, but the truth was none had seen them go. The rooms that had been prepared for them were all made up, but slightly different to indicate they had used them but had cleaned them and departed long before dawn. There was no trail either. They seemed to have vanished from Arender-ken without a trace.

For about three days, Eiko was quiet and despondent. She again sealed herself in her room and brooded silently. However, Akiko frequently came to her and encouraged her, and, over time, her words sank in. The queen realized that she had much to be thankful for. She had mastery of her power and acceptance from her people and others. She had her kingdom and her wonderful sister, and a faithful companion and friend in Osamu (who, in spite of being a kami, said he would like to be a "town winter spirit" and elected to remain in the castle). Taking heart from that, Eiko rose again and resumed her position as daimyo.

In spite of the winter that had ravaged it, Arender-ken was soon more prosperous than ever. Word soon spread far and wide of Eiko, not only in terms of her power, but also her grace, wisdom, and beauty. Now that she was no longer restrained with hiding herself, she enacted her policies and laws with more force. Where before she had been frightened and nervous, she was bold and decisive now. To her people, she gave an air of benevolence and "godly power", granting feelings of happiness and safety. To those who opposed her, she was cold, calculating, and sharp as the deadliest ice; both shrewd as well as unafraid. It wasn't long before the country was both open to nobles who wished to see the castle and the lands, but also having cowed and humbled all potential threats to Eiko's rule. Where before she had seemed to be a mistake or a "fluke", she now held the throne securely. And with that in mind, the country made back all that it had lost and then even more, reducing the land to the lowest poverty level in the domain of the emperor while bringing in the most tribute to the empire with plenty to spare. That was to say nothing of how the land regrew green and beautiful in spite of the deadly winter. Even the shogun could not argue with that, especially since they were able to contribute more than any other fiefdom. No threats were seen on the horizon from the empire that Eiko served under, and peace reigned.

Often did Eiko appear to her people with the intention of bringing joy and happiness by showing off her power for festivals or just to entertain the children. She needed no bodyguards…not with her power. Yet often when she had time, she spent it with her sister, trying to make up for the many years apart. There were reports of times when there was no royal or official business that the two noblewomen would run through the castle like children. But it was nothing that troubled the sisters. They had a lot of "lost time" to catch up, after all. To the best of her ability, Eiko was done living her life being fearful and miserable. She would look to the future with hope and happiness now.

And every day, which did indeed seem to pass slowly, that she looked outside…she managed to feel hope there too. She knew he was out there…counting the days just as she was…and hoping that she was happy during all the time in between.

* * *

It may have only been the first day of winter tomorrow, but the land was "getting a head start".

Normally it was unusual for Arender-ken to see snow this early. It was cold, to be sure, and the harvest season had long since come and gone. But there would be gray skies and cold, murky days for some time before the first flakes began to fall. Not so today. Rather, thick fluffy flakes were drifting down in great snowy curtains already, covering the world with a fresh white blanket. As it was late in the day, everyone was already inside, fires lit, and watching as the last bit of light faded while the world filled with snow. Although, in Arender-ken, there was a bit more hope and expectation. The snow seemed gentle now…peaceful…serene… It was impossible to look at it and think of it as something cold, deadly, or troublimg. Rather, it was almost like seeing Lady Eiko herself pass through the town…something beautiful and gentle smiling softly as she wandered about from street to street. Almost every child in the domain was watching with rapt attention as the beautiful flakes fell.

And on the upper level of the castle, wearing a thick winter kimono and cape herself, stood Eiko, watching the snow fall down as well.

A soft smile was on her face. In spite of the coldness in her room, she had never felt such warmth in her heart.

"Eiko…?"

The woman looked away from the snowy landscape and back into her chamber. She saw Akiko walking in, fully bundled up, even more so than Eiko. She smiled a bit as she exhaled a breath of frosty air, before walking into the room and up to the window as well. She knew her sister wouldn't mind the cold at all, and so had taken the precaution of getting fully dressed before going into the same room as her. Yet as she neared her, she couldn't help but be a bit confused.

"You're wearing winter clothes? I thought you didn't get cold."

"I don't." She answered. "But…you know…kind of helps me 'fit in'. I'll probably change into my 'special' kimono before he gets here."

Akiko smiled back as she got near her sister. "Everything's ready for him. I even helped cook up the story about how he's a samurai in your service who spends nine months out of the year on duty, but while he's here he's your personal bodyguard. It should help explain why he always spends so much time around you." She smiled a bit more. "To be honest, it'll be fun to see Jiro again. You think the others will come with him?"

Eiko shook her head. "I don't know."

The younger sister crossed her arms and pouted a bit as she looked outside. "You said they could visit whenever they wanted, but I haven't seen them yet… It seems like it's been years since last summer too."

"They didn't forget, Akiko." The older sister reassured. "Trust me, they'll come when they're ready."

The woman exhaled, but seemed to take this as an explanation. She continued to stare out the window a moment. After a time, Eiko turned and looked as well. Smiling a bit more, she nudged in closer to her sister until they were touching. At that point, she showed the real reason she liked dressing in winter clothes…as she lifted up her cape and put it around Akiko and herself, pulling her younger sister in closer. In turn, she looked to her and smiled for a moment, before looking back out to the snow.

"…It really is beautiful." She said after a moment. "Are you…?"

Eiko shook her head. "No, not this time. It's an early winter this year, at least in Arender-ken."

Akiko hesitated. "You think-"

"The country will be just fine." Eiko answered. "I can make sure no severe blizzards or storms ravage the country, and we ended up having such a good year we have no danger of running out of food."

"That's not what I meant." Akiko answered. "You think maybe…just maybe…" She risked a small smile. "…This is the gods giving you a little 'something back'?"

The older sister hesitated a moment, but then smiled and chuckled. "I don't know. When it comes to winter, I'm the one who's supposed to be 'in charge'. Maybe I'm doing this without even knowing it. But…maybe you're right. Maybe it's a good sign."

Akiko smiled. "I'm sure it is." She looked back out and enjoyed the snowfall for a few more minutes, just two sisters sharing a moment. But as the sun set and darkness fell over the land, beginning to hide the snow, she leaned back and stretched.

"Well…I need to go see if Osamu's staying awake. He wanted to stay up along with me until Jiro gets here, but I don't think he can keep his eyes open much longer." She looked to Eiko again. "You're staying up until midnight too, aren't you?"

Eiko let out a small laugh. "Of course. I couldn't sleep now if I wanted to."

"In that case…I'll make sure none of the castle staff 'come into the room without knocking' tonight." Akiko said with a wink, before turning and beginning to head for the door leading out of the room. "I can't wait for all the fun we'll have tomorrow…" She went on as she reached the entrance and slid it aside. "…Maybe I can invite that one guy from the mountains who's always selling loads of snow he brings down. He's not so bad looking when you get past the smell of that stag he's always with…"

The daimyo caught the tail end of this and turned her head in puzzlement. "Wait…what?"

It was too late, however. Akiko had already slid the door shut and was leaving. Eiko held a moment, but then simply smiled and turned back to the window.

The hours slowly passed. Night fell and it grew colder, but Eiko had long since made sure her room was insulated from the rest of the castle. Rather than grow cooler herself, she merely stripped her outer clothes and clad herself in her beautiful, shimmering kimono of ice. After that, she looked out to the falling snow and waited.

As midnight neared, the snow slowly ceased. The clouds lifted, and beyond it was a sky open, clear, and brilliant. The moon beamed down in all of its full glory, and yet somehow one could still make out the stars around it. It seemed impossible…but the effect illuminated the world below, looking crisp, clean, and perfect under a layer of fresh snow.

The Yuki no Megami, her own icy dress glittering in the moonlight, looked out and waited a bit longer…before exactly what she expected to happen happened.

He didn't come in through the window. His arms gently slid around her from behind as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the cheek. She simply nestled slowly into it.

"Not surprised at all?" Jiro asked quietly. "Not even a little jump?"

Eiko, on her part, merely smiled as she leaned into the embrace. "Somehow I knew you'd sneak in behind me no matter where I looked."

"Looks like your soul remembers things even when your memory doesn't."

Eiko didn't answer. She simply turned around, wrapped her own arms around Jiro as he pulled her in closer, and both shared a very deep, long kiss they had been longing for ever since the night of the festival. Eiko wasn't sure how long they kissed exactly. Time didn't seem to have any meaning…which was why she saw no reason to break it. At long last, Jiro was back…and now she wished time would freeze forever right here and now.

While still sharing the kiss, Jiro's arms moved down and around and gently scooped her up without any effort. They continued to kiss a little longer before finally breaking, although both continued to look longingly at each other as Jiro turned away from the window and back into the room. Soon he began to carry her inside.

As they did, Eiko gestured "off-handedly" with one finger to make a small wintry gale form in the room, pushing the doors to the balcony shut, and then coated key points with ice to make sure they wouldn't open again. She did the same to the door to the room in spite of Akiko's promises.

She and Jiro would be needing their privacy for a _long_ time.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok...I threw in a Kristoff allusion at the end. So sue me. :P

Now...a confession. I wish I could say that this story is 100% original and came just from the fires of my own brain, but it's not. The truth of the matter is this entire story was inspired by a piece of fanart I found on deviant art. I saw the picture and figured I had to write a story to go with it. Now...I'm aware the artist who made the picture is writing their own story, and I didn't read a word of it because I wanted mine to be original. Anyway, for credit where credit is due, here is BlueStorm-Studio's beautiful piece of art. And yes, this is how I envision Jiro and Eiko look like in the story.

art/Jack-Frost-and-Elsa-HISAME-434323023

I want to thank everyone for being such faithful readers, I hope you enjoyed this, AND...if you would like more of my pitiful attempts at romance, I suggest you read my take on the Fairy Tales "King Grizzlebeard" and "The Magic Heart".

Lastly, to field some questions in advance, the thought has entered my head to do a sequel that _would _feature a Japanese twist on Kristoff, Sven, and Pitch Black, but I need a really good idea first or it'll end up being sequelitis.

See you next time!


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